Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Surfers Paradise

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,824 in Surfers Paradise, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Surfers Paradise
Learn more

Surfers Paradise Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Surfers Paradise

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,824

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Surfers Paradise

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 Surfers Paradise actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,824 in Surfers Paradise.

Phuket $1,207
Surfers Paradise $2,824

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $4,398 in Surfers Paradise.

Phuket $2,037
Surfers Paradise $4,398

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $5,973 in Surfers Paradise.

Phuket $2,867
Surfers Paradise $5,973

Living in Phuket costs roughly 57% less than in Surfers Paradise, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Surfers Paradise is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$17.36 A$24.99

-73.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$105 A$151

-69.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$10.85 A$15.62

-21.20%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$4.10 A$5.90

-33.66%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$2.81 A$4.05

-66.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$2.40 A$3.46

-79.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$7.86 A$11.31

-67.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$7.87 A$11.32

-51.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.66 A$2.40

4.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$2.70 A$3.89

-47.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$2.41 A$3.46

-36.51%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$4.90 A$7.05

-55.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$8.68 A$12.49

120.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$9.09 A$13.07

-63.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$14.47 A$20.83

-23.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$3.92 A$5.65

-24.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$3.08 A$4.43

-45.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$3.37 A$4.85

-31.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$4.84 A$6.97

-55.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$2.82 A$4.06

-45.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$2.44 A$3.50

-44.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$2.39 A$3.44

-53.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$2.07 A$2.98

-73.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$37.58 A$54.1

-88.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$14.26 A$20.52

27.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$5.97 A$8.59

-70.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$5.12 A$7.36

-45.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.34 A$0.49

552.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$2.10 A$3.02

38.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.62 A$2.33

-37.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$35.24 A$50.7

-89.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.30 A$1.86

14.62%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$27.0K A$38.9K

-1.29%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$28.3K A$40.8K

-5.78%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$212 A$305

-53.18%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$29.92 A$43.06

-62.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$55.4 A$79.8

-68.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$66.1 A$95.1

-20.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$14.45 A$20.80

-24.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$17.42 A$25.06

-56.54%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$1,944 A$2,798

-71.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$12.4K A$17.8K

-7.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$83.1 A$120

-24.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$55.1 A$79.2

-48.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$111 A$160

-13.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$121 A$175

-27.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$1,912 A$2,752

-61.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$1,570 A$2,260

-70.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$3,770 A$5,425

-44.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$3,067 A$4,413

-60.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$5,895 A$8,483

-41.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$4,954 A$7,128

-49.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$3,288 A$4,731

-85.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.81

-4.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Surfers Paradise: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Surfers Paradise

$1.6K 55.6% 241% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Surfers Paradise

$380 13.5% 42% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Surfers Paradise

$298 10.5% 133% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Surfers Paradise

$167 5.9% 34.3% $43

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Surfers Paradise

$297 10.5% 144% $175

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Surfers Paradise

$101 3.6% 49.6% $33

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Surfers Paradise

$12 * 0.4% 70.3% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $1,912 in Surfers Paradise. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surfers Paradise pays 567% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $105 in Surfers Paradise for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $380 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇺 Surfers Paradise

🕒 Local time

21:45 9:45 PM

00:45 12:45 AM

3 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

19,668

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Surfers Paradise 7,130 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Surfers Paradise

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 Surfers Paradise: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 134% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 567% lower in Surfers Paradise. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $1,912 in Surfers Paradise. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $1,944 in Surfers Paradise. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $105 in Surfers Paradise. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,824 in Surfers Paradise, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Surfers Paradise. 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 Surfers Paradise, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Surfers Paradise 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 134% less than in Surfers Paradise. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.