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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,507 in Port Macquarie versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,646 in Port Macquarie versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,785 in Port Macquarie versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Port Macquarie is roughly 104% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Macquarie is 83% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.97 A$25.35

$4.41 ฿147

307.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 A$127

$32.26 ฿1,077

178.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 A$15.16

$8.93 ฿298

20.38%

Cappuccino

$3.91 A$5.51

$2.90 ฿96.6

34.83%

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

$2.46 A$3.47

$0.88 ฿29.38

179.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.34

$0.48 ฿16.06

245.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.29 A$8.88

$2.35 ฿78.5

167.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 A$9.33

$3.72 ฿124

77.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 A$2.97

$1.87 ฿62.3

12.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 A$4.27

$1.47 ฿48.94

105.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.07

$1.55 ฿51.8

85.81%

Eggs

$5.43 A$7.66

$2.10 ฿70.1

158.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.47 A$7.71

$19.59 ฿654

-72.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.59 A$14.94

$3.42 ฿114

209.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.72 A$17.94

$11.38 ฿380

11.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.57

$2.98 ฿99.6

8.72%

Banana (1kg)

$4.42 A$6.23

$1.68 ฿56.2

163.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.60

$2.21 ฿73.7

15.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 A$7.25

$2.16 ฿72.1

137.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.51

$1.52 ฿50.9

63.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.49

$1.34 ฿44.67

85.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 A$2.30

$1.13 ฿37.67

44.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 A$2.28

$0.55 ฿18.24

194.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$40.82 A$57.6

$4.26 ฿142

858.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 A$14.81

$19.09 ฿637

-45.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.32 A$6.09

$1.78 ฿59.4

142.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 A$7.68

$2.78 ฿92.9

95.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 A$4.34

$2.23 ฿74.4

37.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.5 A$112

$22.74 ฿759

249.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 A$5.62

$3.03 ฿101

31.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 A$2.36

$1.02 ฿34.15

64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.02 A$64.9

$3.89 ฿130

1083.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.88

$1.49 ฿49.77

-10.74%

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

$27.0K A$38.0K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

1.46%

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

$23.0K A$32.4K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-14.93%

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

$211 A$298

$102 ฿3,420

106.13%

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

$31.90 A$44.99

$11.33 ฿378

181.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.7 A$85.6

$17.40 ฿581

248.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 A$75.7

$52.1 ฿1,738

3.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.93 A$14.00

$11.07 ฿370

-10.30%

Cinema Ticket

$11.02 A$15.55

$7.69 ฿257

43.30%

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

$2,525 A$3,560

$561 ฿18.7K

350.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K A$26.0K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

60.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 A$124

$63.0 ฿2,104

39.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 A$79.7

$29.52 ฿986

91.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 A$148

$98.0 ฿3,272

7.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$182

$88.5 ฿2,954

45.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 A$1,988

$738 ฿24.6K

90.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 A$1,795

$482 ฿16.1K

163.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,186 A$3,082

$2,107 ฿70.3K

3.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 A$2,470

$1,226 ฿40.9K

42.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,290 A$8,871

$3,617 ฿120.7K

73.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,074 A$7,156

$2,603 ฿86.9K

94.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 A$3,986

$494 ฿16.5K

472.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.57

-4.31%

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

Last update for Port Macquarie: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,410 in Port Macquarie and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Macquarie pays 473% 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: $90.0 in Port Macquarie vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $274 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 Macquarie vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 473% higher in Port Macquarie, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,410 in Port Macquarie versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,525 in Port Macquarie versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Port Macquarie. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,507 in Port Macquarie, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Port Macquarie. 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 Macquarie, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Port Macquarie 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 104% less than in Port Macquarie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.