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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,965 in Victoria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $3,172 in Victoria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $4,378 in Victoria.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 36% less than in Victoria, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Victoria is 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$15.84 SCR 229

-71.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$44.95 SCR 649

3.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$9.44 SCR 136

-10.28%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$4.86 SCR 70.2

-37.65%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.76 SCR 39.88

-75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$2.65 SCR 38.21

-86.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$3.89 SCR 56.1

-35.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.56 SCR 65.9

-19.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.85 SCR 26.71

17.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.71 SCR 24.67

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.86 SCR 41.26

-23.08%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.52 SCR 50.8

-36.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$34.01 SCR 491

-41.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.06 SCR 87.6

-39.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$11.98 SCR 173

10.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.27 SCR 32.77

42.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.54 SCR 36.73

-33.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.17 SCR 31.36

10.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$6.00 SCR 86.6

-65.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.97 SCR 28.51

-19.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.51 SCR 21.83

-1.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.38 SCR 19.94

-25.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.50 SCR 21.68

-65.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$21.77 SCR 314

-80.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$10.55 SCR 152

78.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$4.35 SCR 62.8

-59.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$6.64 SCR 96.0

-58.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.81 SCR 11.71

67.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$25.11 SCR 363

-54.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$6.96 SCR 101

-54.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.12 SCR 30.57

-50.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$20.82 SCR 301

-33.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.45 SCR 21.01

-7.59%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$26.0K SCR 375.2K

6.54%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$34.1K SCR 492.1K

-0.62%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$135 SCR 1,956

-8.76%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$40.87 SCR 590

-66.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$150 SCR 2,160

-87.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$91.7 SCR 1,324

-32.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$15.31 SCR 221

12.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.20 SCR 75.1

75.77%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$158 SCR 2,275

345.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$8,479 SCR 122.5K

87.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$66.3 SCR 958

-10.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$27.59 SCR 398

27.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$70.3 SCR 1,015

63.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$71.1 SCR 1,027

18.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$933 SCR 13.5K

-33.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$732 SCR 10.6K

-40.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,986 SCR 28.7K

3.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,809 SCR 26.1K

-16.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$481 SCR 6,942

658.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,276 SCR 18.4K

105.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$975 SCR 14.1K

-47.98%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Victoria: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $933 in Victoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Victoria pays 92% 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 $45.00 in Victoria. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 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 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Victoria earns 92% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $933 in Victoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $158 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 $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,965 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 56% less than in Victoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.