Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rockhampton Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rockhampton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,845 in Rockhampton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,818 in Rockhampton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,791 in Rockhampton.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 33% less than in Rockhampton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Rockhampton is 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$17.86 A$25.01

-74.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$77.0 A$108

-39.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.89 A$12.44

-0.56%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.75 A$5.26

-20.00%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$2.68 A$3.76

-72.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.51 A$3.51

-85.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$7.08 A$9.91

-65.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$5.71 A$8.00

-36.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.68 A$2.35

34.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.85 A$2.59

-0.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.30 A$3.23

-2.61%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.16 A$4.43

-26.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.45 A$9.03

204.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$9.43 A$13.20

-61.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$14.79 A$20.71

-11.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.63 A$3.69

28.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$4.12 A$5.77

-60.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.49 A$3.49

-3.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$5.20 A$7.28

-60.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.09 A$2.92

-25.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.06 A$2.88

-27.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.66 A$3.73

-61.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.30 A$1.82

-62.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$33.79 A$47.31

-86.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.22 A$15.70

68.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.25 A$4.55

-45.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$5.67 A$7.94

-51.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.54 A$2.15

-9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$60.2 A$84.3

-80.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.26 A$4.56

-4.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.56 A$2.18

-35.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$36.64 A$51.3

-61.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.22 A$1.71

10.66%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.8K A$37.6K

1.33%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.3K A$27.0K

70.90%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$193 A$270

-35.21%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$21.71 A$30.39

-37.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$65.4 A$91.6

-71.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$47.68 A$66.8

28.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$12.82 A$17.95

31.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$13.05 A$18.27

-29.58%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$1,610 A$2,254

-56.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,131 A$8,584

154.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$68.7 A$96.2

-15.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$55.4 A$77.6

-36.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$130 A$182

-13.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$58.8 A$82.3

46.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$764 A$1,070

-19.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$616 A$862

-27.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,506 A$2,109

35.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,170 A$1,638

27.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$4,087 A$5,721

-87.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.65

-19.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Rockhampton: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $764 in Rockhampton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rockhampton pays 680% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $77.0 in Rockhampton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $329 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Rockhampton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Rockhampton earns 680% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $764 in Rockhampton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $1,610 in Rockhampton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Rockhampton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,845 in Rockhampton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rockhampton. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rockhampton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Rockhampton are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Rockhampton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.