Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sunshine Coast and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,343 in Sunshine Coast, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Sunshine Coast
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Sunshine Coast Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Sunshine Coast

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,343

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sunshine Coast and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sunshine Coast and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,343 in Sunshine Coast versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Sunshine Coast $2,343
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,553 in Sunshine Coast versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Sunshine Coast $3,553
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,762 in Sunshine Coast versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Sunshine Coast $4,762
Phuket $3,154

Living in Sunshine Coast is roughly 83% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sunshine Coast is 72% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 A$25.18

$4.47 ฿151

296.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 A$105

$32.41 ฿1,094

127.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 A$14.98

$8.81 ฿297

19.64%

Cappuccino

$3.96 A$5.63

$2.83 ฿95.5

39.93%

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

$2.88 A$4.09

$0.87 ฿29.43

231.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 A$3.89

$0.49 ฿16.67

459.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 A$10.63

$2.56 ฿86.4

192.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.21 A$13.08

$3.68 ฿124

150.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.66 ฿56.0

-19.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 A$2.79

$1.46 ฿49.35

34.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 A$2.91

$1.50 ฿50.6

36.67%

Eggs

$4.74 A$6.73

$2.09 ฿70.5

126.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 A$15.87

$19.07 ฿644

-41.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 A$11.35

$3.30 ฿111

142.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.27 A$30.22

$10.91 ฿368

94.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.47

$2.93 ฿99.0

7.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.50

$1.69 ฿57.1

45.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.47

$2.25 ฿75.8

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 A$5.75

$2.08 ฿70.1

94.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.08

$1.51 ฿51.0

43.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 A$2.39

$1.38 ฿46.56

21.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.15

$1.07 ฿35.99

107.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.28

$0.52 ฿17.52

344.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$47.13 A$67.0

$4.20 ฿142

1022.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.54 A$22.08

$18.79 ฿634

-17.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 A$7.83

$1.82 ฿61.5

202.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 A$8.41

$2.84 ฿95.9

108.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 A$0.52

$1.45 ฿49.03

-74.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.32 A$34.56

$56.7 ฿1,913

-57.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 A$3.02

$3.02 ฿102

-29.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.02 ฿34.36

56.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.31 A$51.6

$3.69 ฿125

884.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.47 ฿49.81

-9.52%

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

$31.3K A$44.5K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

16.87%

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

$31.1K A$44.2K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

16.49%

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

$139 A$198

$96.4 ฿3,254

44.51%

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

$43.15 A$61.3

$11.26 ฿380

283.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 A$94.8

$16.85 ฿569

295.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 A$73.5

$67.2 ฿2,270

-23.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 A$23.45

$10.73 ฿362

53.77%

Cinema Ticket

$15.63 A$22.20

$7.50 ฿253

108.40%

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

$2,168 A$3,080

$476 ฿16.1K

355.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 A$92.4

$62.4 ฿2,106

4.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$112 A$160

$28.41 ฿959

295.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 A$137

$94.3 ฿3,184

2.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 A$142

$85.8 ฿2,898

16.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 A$1,920

$716 ฿24.2K

88.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 A$1,606

$491 ฿16.6K

130.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,410 A$3,424

$1,927 ฿65.1K

25.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 A$2,879

$1,431 ฿48.3K

41.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,540 A$7,872

$4,175 ฿141.0K

32.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,183 A$7,365

$3,045 ฿102.8K

70.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,508 A$4,985

$502 ฿17.0K

598.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

5.57

3.23%

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

Last update for Sunshine Coast: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sunshine Coast

$1.1K 48.3%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 56.6% $640

Groceries & Markets

Sunshine Coast

$378 16.1%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 29.5% $111

Eating Out

Sunshine Coast

$299 12.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 59.3% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sunshine Coast

$249 10.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 50% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Sunshine Coast

$168 7.2%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 27.5% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Sunshine Coast

$83 3.5%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 0.9% $0.8

Getting Around

Sunshine Coast

$36 1.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 96.7% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,351 in Sunshine Coast and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sunshine Coast pays about 7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $74 in Sunshine Coast vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sunshine Coast

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

21:55 9:55 PM

3 h behind Sunshine Coast

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

284,131

79,308

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sunshine Coast Phuket 7,030 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Sunshine Coast
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Sunshine Coast is about 7 times higher, 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: $1,351 in Sunshine Coast versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,168 in Sunshine Coast versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Sunshine Coast. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,343 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Sunshine Coast on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.