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: $1,962 in Sunshine Coast versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,946 in Sunshine Coast versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,930 in Sunshine Coast versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Sunshine Coast is roughly 55% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sunshine Coast is 46% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.40 A$20.06

$4.70 ฿153

206.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 A$92.3

$45.37 ฿1,482

46.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 A$12.45

$8.43 ฿275

6.05%

Cappuccino

$3.40 A$4.73

$2.93 ฿95.6

16.04%

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

$2.14 A$2.99

$0.69 ฿22.40

210.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.22

$0.37 ฿11.99

524.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 A$8.79

$2.41 ฿78.6

161.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 A$9.87

$3.72 ฿122

90.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.77

$2.23 ฿72.9

-43.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 A$2.52

$1.83 ฿59.8

-1.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 A$2.43

$2.17 ฿70.8

-19.82%

Eggs

$4.35 A$6.06

$2.21 ฿72.3

96.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.13 A$9.94

$19.74 ฿645

-63.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 A$12.34

$3.63 ฿119

143.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.61 A$17.57

$13.53 ฿442

-6.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.77

$3.28 ฿107

-17.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.19

$1.61 ฿52.6

42.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 A$4.89

$2.41 ฿78.6

45.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 A$5.32

$2.08 ฿68.1

83.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 A$2.66

$1.53 ฿49.93

24.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 A$2.41

$1.48 ฿48.36

16.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 A$2.67

$0.99 ฿32.29

93.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 A$2.34

$0.51 ฿16.67

229.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.79 A$33.15

$4.41 ฿144

439.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.22 A$19.81

$19.38 ฿633

-26.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.93 A$6.87

$1.78 ฿58.1

176.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 A$8.06

$2.71 ฿88.6

113.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 A$1.93

$1.37 ฿44.79

0.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.51 A$52.3

$11.39 ฿372

229.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 A$2.87

$3.02 ฿98.6

-31.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.94

$0.99 ฿32.48

40.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.17 A$47.61

$14.10 ฿461

142.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.59

$1.36 ฿44.51

-16.18%

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

$28.5K A$39.8K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

1.15%

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

$21.5K A$30.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-34.57%

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

$129 A$179

$122 ฿3,975

5.74%

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

$28.51 A$39.73

$13.57 ฿443

110.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.05 A$61.4

$18.31 ฿598

140.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 A$69.8

$60.2 ฿1,967

-16.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.68 A$21.85

$17.14 ฿560

-8.52%

Cinema Ticket

$13.19 A$18.38

$8.69 ฿284

51.78%

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

$292 A$408

$693 ฿22.6K

-57.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,188 A$10.0K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-54.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 A$84.2

$59.5 ฿1,944

1.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.44 A$66.1

$34.77 ฿1,136

36.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 A$124

$115 ฿3,743

-22.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 A$132

$83.3 ฿2,720

14.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 A$1,514

$613 ฿20.0K

77.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 A$1,302

$437 ฿14.3K

113.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 A$2,496

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-14.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,642 A$2,288

$1,509 ฿49.3K

8.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,366 A$7,477

$2,616 ฿85.4K

105.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,534 A$4,925

$508 ฿16.6K

595.56%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Sunshine Coast and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sunshine Coast pays 596% 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 $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $293 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 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sunshine Coast pays 596% more on average, 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: $1,086 in Sunshine Coast versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $292 in Sunshine Coast versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Sunshine Coast. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,962 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 55% less than in Sunshine Coast. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.