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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,978 in Victoria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $3,130 in Victoria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $4,283 in Victoria.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 38% less than in Victoria, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Victoria is 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$15.73 SCR 227

-70.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$44.24 SCR 638

5.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.94 SCR 129

-1.12%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$4.98 SCR 71.8

-39.76%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$2.66 SCR 38.36

-72.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.73 SCR 39.37

-86.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.92 SCR 56.5

-37.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.61 SCR 66.6

-21.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.79 SCR 25.82

26.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.79 SCR 25.82

2.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.75 SCR 39.64

-18.55%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.65 SCR 52.7

-36.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$33.94 SCR 490

-42.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.99 SCR 86.4

-39.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.64 SCR 168

12.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.30 SCR 33.17

47.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.67 SCR 38.47

-38.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.13 SCR 30.75

13.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$6.26 SCR 90.4

-67.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.06 SCR 29.67

-24.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.48 SCR 21.32

1.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.31 SCR 18.98

-22.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.49 SCR 21.48

-67.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$21.64 SCR 312

-79.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.07 SCR 145

87.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$4.43 SCR 63.9

-59.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$6.71 SCR 96.9

-59.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.84 SCR 12.13

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$24.64 SCR 356

-53.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$6.86 SCR 98.9

-54.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.13 SCR 30.72

-53.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$20.97 SCR 303

-32.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.40 SCR 20.20

-3.57%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.3K SCR 379.0K

3.49%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$34.8K SCR 501.5K

-5.27%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$135 SCR 1,942

-7.12%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$40.70 SCR 587

-66.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$155 SCR 2,239

-88.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$92.2 SCR 1,331

-33.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$15.39 SCR 222

9.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.07 SCR 73.2

81.26%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$154 SCR 2,226

352.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$8,288 SCR 119.6K

88.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$66.0 SCR 952

-12.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$27.17 SCR 392

29.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$70.5 SCR 1,017

60.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$72.7 SCR 1,050

18.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$936 SCR 13.5K

-34.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$738 SCR 10.7K

-39.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$2,010 SCR 29.0K

1.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,789 SCR 25.8K

-16.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$465 SCR 6,709

712.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,208 SCR 17.4K

119.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$904 SCR 13.0K

-42.05%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Victoria: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $936 in Victoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Victoria pays 73% 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 $44.00 in Victoria. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $383, 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 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Victoria earns 73% 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 $936 in Victoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $154 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 $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,978 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 61% less than in Victoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.