Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Victoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Victoria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,993 in Victoria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $3,174 in Victoria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $4,355 in Victoria.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 37% less than in Victoria, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Victoria is 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$15.85 SCR 229

-71.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$44.53 SCR 644

2.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$9.09 SCR 131

-3.63%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$5.03 SCR 72.7

-40.95%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$2.71 SCR 39.17

-74.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$2.62 SCR 37.83

-85.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$3.93 SCR 56.8

-35.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$4.67 SCR 67.5

-19.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.86 SCR 26.83

15.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.80 SCR 26.01

1.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.85 SCR 41.16

-23.51%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$3.52 SCR 51.0

-36.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$33.94 SCR 491

-41.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.01 SCR 86.9

-39.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$11.86 SCR 172

14.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.25 SCR 32.46

44.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.54 SCR 36.66

-35.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.21 SCR 31.96

5.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$6.00 SCR 86.8

-65.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.09 SCR 30.18

-25.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.53 SCR 22.16

-4.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.37 SCR 19.80

-28.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.50 SCR 21.72

-68.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$22.12 SCR 320

-80.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$10.19 SCR 147

82.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$4.21 SCR 60.8

-55.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$6.44 SCR 93.0

-58.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.79 SCR 11.45

79.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$25.32 SCR 366

-54.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$6.79 SCR 98.2

-53.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.02 SCR 29.24

-49.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$20.89 SCR 302

-33.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.40 SCR 20.30

-4.29%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$26.0K SCR 375.1K

7.09%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$34.2K SCR 494.0K

-2.33%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$136 SCR 1,971

-9.76%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$41.83 SCR 605

-67.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$150 SCR 2,172

-87.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$92.6 SCR 1,338

-34.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$15.48 SCR 224

10.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.23 SCR 75.7

69.60%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$157 SCR 2,276

336.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$8,459 SCR 122.3K

86.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$64.1 SCR 926

-7.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$27.35 SCR 395

26.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$68.9 SCR 996

67.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$72.5 SCR 1,048

15.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$962 SCR 13.9K

-35.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$744 SCR 10.8K

-40.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$2,007 SCR 29.0K

1.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$1,807 SCR 26.1K

-17.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$435 SCR 6,285

694.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,134 SCR 16.4K

123.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$957 SCR 13.8K

-48.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.5

-67.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Victoria: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $962 in Victoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Victoria pays 94% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $45.00 in Victoria. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $382, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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 Victoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 94% lower in Victoria. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $962 in Victoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $157 in Victoria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Victoria. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,993 in Victoria, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Victoria. 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 Victoria, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Victoria 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 58% less than in Victoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.