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: $1,817 in Rockhampton versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,784 in Rockhampton versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,752 in Rockhampton versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Rockhampton is roughly 44% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rockhampton is 36% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.92 A$25.74

$4.48 ฿150

300.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 A$111

$45.59 ฿1,525

68.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 A$13.45

$8.76 ฿293

6.96%

Cappuccino

$3.74 A$5.37

$2.97 ฿99.3

25.93%

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

$2.81 A$4.04

$0.69 ฿22.96

307.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 A$3.44

$0.39 ฿13.07

515.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.24 A$10.40

$2.53 ฿84.7

186.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 A$8.50

$3.75 ฿125

57.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.50

$2.15 ฿71.8

-19.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 A$2.64

$1.82 ฿60.7

1.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.34

$2.18 ฿73.1

6.42%

Eggs

$3.27 A$4.70

$2.25 ฿75.2

45.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.33 A$9.09

$20.00 ฿669

-68.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 A$13.19

$3.63 ฿121

152.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.74 A$21.17

$13.56 ฿453

8.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 A$3.81

$3.24 ฿109

-18.21%

Banana (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.19

$1.64 ฿54.7

162.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.49

$2.33 ฿78.0

4.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.24 A$7.53

$2.07 ฿69.3

153.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.02

$1.55 ฿51.8

35.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 A$3.05

$1.46 ฿48.67

45.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 A$3.83

$0.98 ฿32.94

172.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 A$1.78

$0.48 ฿16.13

158.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$33.56 A$48.21

$4.35 ฿146

671.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 A$19.20

$18.57 ฿621

-28.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 A$4.66

$1.86 ฿62.1

74.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 A$8.01

$2.65 ฿88.8

110.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 A$2.20

$1.42 ฿47.40

7.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.5 A$84.0

$11.57 ฿387

405.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 A$4.56

$3.17 ฿106

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 A$2.35

$1.03 ฿34.51

59.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.32 A$52.2

$13.89 ฿465

161.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.76

$1.34 ฿44.96

-8.21%

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

$27.3K A$39.3K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

-1.62%

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

$19.6K A$28.1K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-41.41%

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

$192 A$276

$123 ฿4,116

56.04%

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

$22.11 A$31.77

$13.77 ฿461

60.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 A$94.9

$18.33 ฿613

260.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.83 A$67.3

$60.7 ฿2,030

-22.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.16 A$18.90

$17.16 ฿574

-23.31%

Cinema Ticket

$13.13 A$18.86

$8.87 ฿297

48.03%

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

$1,623 A$2,332

$688 ฿23.0K

136.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,940 A$8,532

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-62.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 A$96.7

$59.3 ฿1,984

13.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 A$80.8

$34.69 ฿1,160

62.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 A$189

$115 ฿3,853

13.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 A$84.7

$83.8 ฿2,802

-29.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 A$1,082

$621 ฿20.8K

21.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 A$905

$446 ฿14.9K

41.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 A$2,194

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-24.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 A$1,623

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-24.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,601 A$5,173

$494 ฿16.5K

629.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

5.33

24.77%

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

Last update for Rockhampton: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Rockhampton and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rockhampton pays 630% 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: $77.0 in Rockhampton vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $291 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 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 630% 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: $753 in Rockhampton versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,623 in Rockhampton versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Rockhampton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,817 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 44% less than in Rockhampton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.