Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wollongong

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,467 in Wollongong, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
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Wollongong Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,467

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Wollongong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,467 in Wollongong.

Phuket $1,278
Wollongong $2,467

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,619 in Wollongong.

Phuket $2,216
Wollongong $3,619

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,772 in Wollongong.

Phuket $3,154
Wollongong $4,772

Living in Phuket costs roughly 48% less than in Wollongong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Wollongong is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$17.38 A$24.72

-74.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$83.8 A$119

-61.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.66 A$15.16

-17.35%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.47 A$4.93

-18.44%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$3.03 A$4.31

-71.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$2.28 A$3.24

-78.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$7.17 A$10.20

-64.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$7.05 A$10.03

-47.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.19 A$1.69

39.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$2.97 A$4.23

-50.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.21 A$3.14

-32.13%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.96 A$5.63

-47.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$10.35 A$14.72

84.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$9.43 A$13.41

-65.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$15.68 A$22.30

-30.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$2.91 A$4.14

0.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.54 A$3.61

-33.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$3.34 A$4.75

-32.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.71 A$6.69

-55.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.31 A$3.29

-34.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$2.58 A$3.67

-46.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$2.54 A$3.61

-57.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$1.34 A$1.91

-61.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$45.34 A$64.5

-90.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$13.90 A$19.77

35.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$4.48 A$6.37

-59.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$4.87 A$6.92

-41.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$2.35 A$3.34

-38.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$138 A$197

-59.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.98 A$5.66

-24.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$1.56 A$2.22

-34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$43.53 A$61.9

-91.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.33 A$1.90

10.53%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$28.5K A$40.6K

-6.21%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$24.8K A$35.2K

7.67%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$186 A$264

-48.13%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$26.37 A$37.49

-57.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$49.87 A$70.9

-66.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$61.3 A$87.2

9.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$13.78 A$19.59

-22.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$13.51 A$19.21

-44.49%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$2,193 A$3,119

-78.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$20.3K A$28.8K

-44.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$70.8 A$101

-11.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$55.8 A$79.3

-49.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$106 A$151

-11.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$110 A$157

-22.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,400 A$1,991

-48.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,162 A$1,652

-57.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,398 A$3,410

-19.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,833 A$2,606

-21.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$4,469 A$6,353

-6.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$3,568 A$5,073

-14.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$5,107 A$7,261

-90.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.23

6.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Wollongong: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Wollongong

$1.2K 47.1% 137% $671

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Wollongong

$357 14.5% 33.9% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Wollongong

$262 10.6% 111% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Wollongong

$155 6.3% 26.8% $33

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Wollongong

$284 11.5% 133% $162

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Wollongong

$88 3.6% 7.4% $6.1

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Wollongong

$159 6.5% 126% $89

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,400 in Wollongong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wollongong pays about 10 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $84 in Wollongong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $357 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🕒 Local time

21:10 9:10 PM

01:10 1:10 AM

4 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

280,153

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Wollongong 7,250 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Wollongong

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 Wollongong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 48% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 90% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $1,400 in Wollongong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $2,193 in Wollongong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Wollongong. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,467 in Wollongong, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wollongong. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Wollongong are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Wollongong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.