Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Port Hedland

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,517 in Port Hedland, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Port Hedland
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Port Hedland Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Port Hedland

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Port Hedland

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Port Hedland actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,517 in Port Hedland.

Phuket $1,294
Port Hedland $2,517

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $3,643 in Port Hedland.

Phuket $2,204
Port Hedland $3,643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $4,770 in Port Hedland.

Phuket $3,115
Port Hedland $4,770

Living in Phuket costs roughly 49% less than in Port Hedland, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Port Hedland is 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$17.47 A$25.00

-74.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$84.3 A$121

-61.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$10.68 A$15.29

-18.54%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$4.05 A$5.79

-32.84%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$2.93 A$4.20

-68.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$2.29 A$3.28

-78.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$7.83 A$11.21

-67.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$7.70 A$11.02

-52.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$1.58 A$2.26

10.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.95

$2.76 A$3.96

-47.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$2.23 A$3.19

-32.74%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$4.84 A$6.92

-55.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$9.06 A$12.97

110.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$9.27 A$13.27

-63.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$14.47 A$20.71

-24.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$3.73 A$5.33

-21.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$3.06 A$4.38

-44.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$3.33 A$4.76

-34.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.7

$4.73 A$6.77

-55.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.21

$2.67 A$3.82

-45.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.15

$2.41 A$3.45

-43.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.30

$2.39 A$3.43

-54.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.41

$1.59 A$2.28

-65.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$42.72 A$61.2

-89.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

$14.04 A$20.10

29.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$4.82 A$6.90

-63.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$5.17 A$7.39

-44.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.84

$2.81 A$4.03

-48.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,852

$84.0 A$120

-34.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.47 A$4.97

-56.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.18

$1.60 A$2.29

-51.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿130

$40.98 A$58.7

-90.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$1.30 A$1.86

14.62%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.9K ฿907.0K

$29.9K A$42.8K

-10.15%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.3K ฿888.9K

$26.6K A$38.0K

-0.88%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$97.8 ฿3,300

$206 A$294

-52.42%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.29 ฿381

$27.81 A$39.82

-59.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$57.3 A$82.0

-70.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$56.4 A$80.7

21.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

$17.67 A$25.29

-38.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$14.12 A$20.22

-47.38%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$530 ฿17.9K

$2,113 A$3,025

-74.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.7K

$20.7K A$29.7K

-9.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,081

$75.7 A$108

-18.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$54.5 A$78.1

-48.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,239

$108 A$155

-11.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,929

$122 A$175

-28.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$1,387 A$1,985

-48.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$1,210 A$1,733

-57.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$2,223 A$3,182

-12.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$1,843 A$2,638

-24.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

$5,770 A$8,259

-27.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

$4,965 A$7,108

-33.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

$5,106 A$7,309

-90.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.9

-5.59%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Port Hedland: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Port Hedland

$1.2K 48.1% 138% $702

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Port Hedland

$367 14.6% 37.3% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Port Hedland

$291 11.6% 130% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Port Hedland

$162 6.5% 32.2% $40

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Port Hedland

$296 11.8% 147% $176

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Port Hedland

$85 3.4% 1.7% $1.4

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Port Hedland

$107 4.2% 61.6% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,387 in Port Hedland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Hedland pays about 10 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $84 in Port Hedland for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $367 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇺 Port Hedland

🕒 Local time

10:15 10:15 AM

11:15 11:15 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

15,298

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Port Hedland 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Port Hedland

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Port Hedland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 49% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 90% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $1,387 in Port Hedland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $2,113 in Port Hedland. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Port Hedland. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,517 in Port Hedland, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Port Hedland. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Port Hedland are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Port Hedland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.