Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Douglas and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Douglas and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Port Douglas versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,303 in Port Douglas versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,378 in Port Douglas versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Port Douglas is roughly 76% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Douglas is 66% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 A$16.18

$4.70 ฿153

147.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 A$113

$45.37 ฿1,482

79.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 A$14.83

$8.43 ฿275

26.22%

Cappuccino

$3.79 A$5.28

$2.93 ฿95.6

29.35%

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

$2.74 A$3.82

$0.69 ฿22.40

297.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.15

$0.37 ฿11.99

510.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.49 A$9.04

$2.41 ฿78.6

169.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 A$9.89

$3.72 ฿122

90.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.34

$2.23 ฿72.9

-24.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.53

$1.83 ฿59.8

38.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 A$3.90

$2.17 ฿70.8

29.03%

Eggs

$3.88 A$5.40

$2.21 ฿72.3

75.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 A$10.86

$19.74 ฿645

-60.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 A$12.76

$3.63 ฿119

152.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.58 A$17.53

$13.53 ฿442

-7.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.21

$3.28 ฿107

-7.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.19

$1.61 ฿52.6

42.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 A$3.85

$2.41 ฿78.6

14.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.13 A$9.94

$2.08 ฿68.1

242.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.22

$1.53 ฿49.93

50.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.24

$1.48 ฿48.36

56.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 A$3.24

$0.99 ฿32.29

135.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 A$4.00

$0.51 ฿16.67

462.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.87 A$40.23

$4.41 ฿144

554.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 A$16.36

$19.38 ฿633

-39.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 A$4.70

$1.78 ฿58.1

89.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 A$5.02

$2.71 ฿88.6

32.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 A$3.52

$1.37 ฿44.79

84.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 A$91.0

$11.39 ฿372

473.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 A$9.30

$3.02 ฿98.6

120.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.18

$0.99 ฿32.48

57.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.73 A$47.01

$14.10 ฿461

139.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.60

$1.36 ฿44.51

-15.44%

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

$23.0K A$32.0K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-18.55%

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

$19.5K A$27.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-40.68%

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

$154 A$214

$122 ฿3,975

26.20%

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

$36.87 A$51.4

$13.57 ฿443

171.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.5 A$83.0

$18.31 ฿598

225.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.10 A$68.4

$60.2 ฿1,967

-18.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.63 A$21.79

$17.14 ฿560

-8.81%

Cinema Ticket

$13.20 A$18.39

$8.69 ฿284

51.90%

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

$1,610 A$2,244

$693 ฿22.6K

132.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K A$16.9K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-22.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 A$118

$59.5 ฿1,944

42.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 A$66.0

$34.77 ฿1,136

36.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$139

$115 ฿3,743

-12.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 A$188

$83.3 ฿2,720

62.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 A$1,765

$613 ฿20.0K

106.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 A$1,472

$437 ฿14.3K

141.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,003 A$2,791

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-4.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 A$2,304

$1,509 ฿49.3K

9.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,336 A$8,830

$3,749 ฿122.5K

69.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,303 A$7,389

$2,616 ฿85.4K

102.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.96

5.33

30.58%

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

Last update for Port Douglas: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,267 in Port Douglas and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Port Douglas vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Port Douglas vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Port Douglas and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,267 in Port Douglas versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,610 in Port Douglas versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Port Douglas. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,227 in Port Douglas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Port Douglas. 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 Port Douglas, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Port Douglas and Phuket 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 76% less than in Port Douglas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.