Cost of Living Comparison Between Sunshine Coast and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sunshine Coast and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,990 in Sunshine Coast versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,013 in Sunshine Coast versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,036 in Sunshine Coast versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Sunshine Coast is roughly 59% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sunshine Coast is 49% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.37 A$20.59

$4.55 ฿153

215.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 A$94.1

$46.18 ฿1,554

42.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 A$12.98

$8.84 ฿298

2.49%

Cappuccino

$3.41 A$4.89

$3.06 ฿103

11.44%

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

$2.15 A$3.08

$0.73 ฿24.42

194.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.31

$0.40 ฿13.40

477.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 A$9.51

$2.43 ฿81.8

173.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 A$10.03

$3.78 ฿127

85.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.82

$2.26 ฿76.0

-43.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 A$2.67

$1.81 ฿60.9

2.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 A$2.60

$2.25 ฿75.8

-19.11%

Eggs

$4.29 A$6.14

$2.25 ฿75.6

90.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 A$10.44

$19.51 ฿656

-62.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 A$12.77

$3.65 ฿123

144.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 A$17.50

$13.05 ฿439

-6.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 A$3.96

$3.23 ฿109

-14.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$1.62 ฿54.4

41.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 A$5.14

$2.38 ฿80.2

50.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 A$5.57

$2.03 ฿68.2

91.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 A$2.80

$1.53 ฿51.6

27.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 A$2.53

$1.50 ฿50.5

18.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 A$2.88

$0.98 ฿32.93

105.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 A$2.49

$0.52 ฿17.40

234.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.49 A$33.66

$4.44 ฿149

429.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.12 A$24.53

$18.32 ฿616

-6.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.01 A$7.18

$1.86 ฿62.7

169.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 A$7.89

$2.68 ฿90.2

105.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 A$1.98

$1.41 ฿47.49

-2.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.86 A$52.8

$11.70 ฿394

215.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 A$2.81

$3.11 ฿105

-36.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 A$2.02

$1.04 ฿35.08

35.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.09 A$48.85

$14.11 ฿475

141.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.67

$1.31 ฿44.13

-11.45%

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

$29.4K A$42.1K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

5.68%

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

$21.7K A$31.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-34.76%

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

$129 A$185

$122 ฿4,120

5.46%

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

$28.57 A$40.94

$13.59 ฿457

110.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.44 A$62.2

$18.70 ฿629

132.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.94 A$70.1

$60.5 ฿2,035

-19.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.35 A$22.00

$16.98 ฿572

-9.60%

Cinema Ticket

$13.23 A$18.96

$9.07 ฿305

45.87%

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

$287 A$411

$706 ฿23.8K

-59.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,245 A$10.4K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-54.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 A$87.9

$58.6 ฿1,970

4.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.41 A$67.9

$35.36 ฿1,190

34.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 A$127

$115 ฿3,885

-23.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 A$136

$83.7 ฿2,818

12.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 A$1,583

$626 ฿21.1K

76.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$923 A$1,322

$445 ฿15.0K

107.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 A$2,555

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-12.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 A$2,303

$1,492 ฿50.2K

7.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,551 A$7,953

$3,483 ฿117.2K

59.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,028 A$7,203

$2,577 ฿86.7K

95.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,419 A$4,898

$500 ฿16.8K

584.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

5.33

17.26%

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

Last update for Sunshine Coast: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,105 in Sunshine Coast and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sunshine Coast pays 584% 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: $66.0 in Sunshine Coast vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $329 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

Sunshine Coast vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 584% higher in Sunshine Coast, 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: $1,105 in Sunshine Coast versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $287 in Sunshine Coast 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 14% higher in Sunshine Coast. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,990 in Sunshine Coast, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sunshine Coast. 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 Sunshine Coast, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sunshine Coast 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 59% less than in Sunshine Coast. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.