Cost of Living Comparison Between Rockhampton and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Rockhampton and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,021 in Rockhampton versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,277 in Rockhampton versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,533 in Rockhampton versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Rockhampton is roughly 60% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rockhampton is 47% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.98 A$29.25

$4.66 ฿154

350.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.0 A$121

$32.22 ฿1,065

169.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 A$14.19

$8.68 ฿287

17.28%

Cappuccino

$5.13 A$7.15

$2.90 ฿95.8

76.90%

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

$2.42 A$3.37

$0.84 ฿27.89

188.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 A$3.95

$0.49 ฿16.16

477.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.15 A$11.37

$2.48 ฿82.0

228.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 A$8.83

$3.73 ฿123

69.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 A$3.40

$1.89 ฿62.3

29.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 A$3.31

$1.41 ฿46.54

68.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 A$3.15

$1.62 ฿53.6

39.51%

Eggs

$3.82 A$5.33

$2.24 ฿74.1

70.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.84 A$9.54

$19.84 ฿656

-65.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 A$15.72

$3.48 ฿115

223.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.72 A$23.31

$11.37 ฿376

47.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 A$3.69

$2.90 ฿95.8

-8.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.13

$1.72 ฿57.0

30.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 A$2.73

$2.27 ฿75.1

-13.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.75

$2.13 ฿70.4

127.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 A$2.95

$1.47 ฿48.72

44.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.34

$1.42 ฿46.92

68.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 A$2.67

$1.10 ฿36.25

74.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.17

$0.60 ฿19.76

280.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.36 A$53.5

$4.31 ฿142

790.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.73 A$21.93

$18.60 ฿615

-15.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.57 A$4.97

$1.80 ฿59.5

98.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 A$8.44

$2.97 ฿98.0

103.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 A$2.36

$2.25 ฿74.2

-24.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 A$92.1

$23.49 ฿776

181.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 A$4.94

$3.10 ฿102

14.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 A$2.53

$1.08 ฿35.56

68.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.13 A$56.0

$3.87 ฿128

936.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 A$1.78

$1.43 ฿47.16

-10.49%

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

$29.6K A$41.3K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

6.65%

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

$23.3K A$32.5K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-13.51%

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

$214 A$299

$105 ฿3,462

104.40%

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

$24.68 A$34.41

$11.39 ฿376

116.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.3 A$98.0

$17.54 ฿580

300.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.34 A$57.6

$54.3 ฿1,795

-23.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.69 A$20.48

$11.44 ฿378

28.41%

Cinema Ticket

$16.77 A$23.38

$7.78 ฿257

115.55%

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

$1,840 A$2,565

$576 ฿19.0K

219.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,738 A$9,394

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-41.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$130 A$181

$63.6 ฿2,103

104.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.2 A$85.3

$29.10 ฿961

110.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 A$199

$96.2 ฿3,179

48.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.3 A$89.6

$90.0 ฿2,974

-28.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$840 A$1,171

$733 ฿24.2K

14.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 A$960

$501 ฿16.5K

37.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 A$2,324

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-21.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 A$2,228

$1,252 ฿41.4K

27.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,495 A$4,873

$508 ฿16.8K

588.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.27

5.57

12.57%

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

Last update for Rockhampton: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $840 in Rockhampton and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rockhampton pays 589% 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: $87.0 in Rockhampton vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $275 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

Rockhampton 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 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 589% higher in Rockhampton, 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: $840 in Rockhampton versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,840 in Rockhampton versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Rockhampton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,021 in Rockhampton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rockhampton. 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 Rockhampton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rockhampton 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 60% less than in Rockhampton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.