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: $2,223 in Port Douglas versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,290 in Port Douglas versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,357 in Port Douglas versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Port Douglas is roughly 78% more expensive than in 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

$11.77 A$16.87

$4.55 ฿153

158.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 A$115

$46.18 ฿1,554

73.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 A$15.09

$8.84 ฿298

19.12%

Cappuccino

$3.80 A$5.44

$3.06 ฿103

24.18%

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

$2.75 A$3.94

$0.73 ฿24.42

276.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.18

$0.40 ฿13.40

455.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 A$9.35

$2.43 ฿81.8

168.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 A$10.29

$3.78 ฿127

89.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.49

$2.26 ฿76.0

-23.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 A$3.42

$1.81 ฿60.9

32.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.91

$2.25 ฿75.8

21.33%

Eggs

$3.90 A$5.58

$2.25 ฿75.6

73.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 A$11.53

$19.51 ฿656

-58.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.20

$3.65 ฿123

152.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.49 A$17.89

$13.05 ฿439

-4.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.28

$3.23 ฿109

-7.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.17

$1.62 ฿54.4

37.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.81

$2.38 ฿80.2

11.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.28 A$10.43

$2.03 ฿68.2

258.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.18

$1.53 ฿51.6

45.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.29

$1.50 ฿50.5

53.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.35

$0.98 ฿32.93

138.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 A$4.15

$0.52 ฿17.40

455.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.85 A$41.33

$4.44 ฿149

549.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.82 A$18.37

$18.32 ฿616

-30.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 A$4.71

$1.86 ฿62.7

76.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 A$5.25

$2.68 ฿90.2

36.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 A$3.69

$1.41 ฿47.49

82.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 A$93.0

$11.70 ฿394

454.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.55 A$9.38

$3.11 ฿105

110.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.29

$1.04 ฿35.08

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.95 A$47.21

$14.11 ฿475

133.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.31 ฿44.13

-12.21%

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

$23.2K A$33.2K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-16.75%

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

$19.1K A$27.4K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-42.42%

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

$154 A$220

$122 ฿4,120

25.41%

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

$36.26 A$51.9

$13.59 ฿457

166.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 A$84.7

$18.70 ฿629

216.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.90 A$70.1

$60.5 ฿2,035

-19.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.63 A$22.40

$16.98 ฿572

-7.95%

Cinema Ticket

$12.76 A$18.28

$9.07 ฿305

40.68%

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

$1,638 A$2,346

$706 ฿23.8K

131.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K A$17.5K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-22.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$122

$58.6 ฿1,970

45.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.82 A$68.5

$35.36 ฿1,190

35.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$143

$115 ฿3,885

-13.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 A$193

$83.7 ฿2,818

61.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 A$1,787

$626 ฿21.1K

99.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,074 A$1,539

$445 ฿15.0K

141.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 A$2,841

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-2.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,670 A$2,393

$1,492 ฿50.2K

11.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,596 A$8,017

$3,483 ฿117.2K

60.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,094 A$7,299

$2,577 ฿86.7K

97.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,247 in Port Douglas and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in Port Douglas vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $289 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 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,335 in Port Douglas and $1,875 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: $1,247 in Port Douglas versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,638 in Port Douglas versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Port Douglas. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,223 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 78% less than in Port Douglas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.