Cost of Living Comparison Between Surfers Paradise and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Surfers Paradise and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in Surfers Paradise versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,221 in Surfers Paradise versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,503 in Surfers Paradise versus $3,317 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Surfers Paradise is 45% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.00 A$22.92

$4.55 ฿153

251.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.4 A$134

$46.18 ฿1,554

102.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 A$14.09

$8.84 ฿298

11.20%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.24

$3.06 ฿103

19.61%

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

$2.72 A$3.90

$0.73 ฿24.42

272.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.20

$0.40 ฿13.40

457.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.49 A$9.30

$2.43 ฿81.8

167.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.59 A$10.88

$3.78 ฿127

100.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 A$2.29

$2.26 ฿76.0

-29.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 A$3.18

$1.81 ฿60.9

22.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.36

$2.25 ฿75.8

4.44%

Eggs

$4.29 A$6.15

$2.25 ฿75.6

90.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.99 A$11.44

$19.51 ฿656

-59.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.46 A$12.12

$3.65 ฿123

131.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 A$19.55

$13.05 ฿439

4.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 A$5.29

$3.23 ฿109

14.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.01

$1.62 ฿54.4

72.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 A$4.88

$2.38 ฿80.2

42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 A$5.51

$2.03 ฿68.2

89.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.54

$1.53 ฿51.6

61.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.42

$1.50 ฿50.5

58.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 A$3.08

$0.98 ฿32.93

119.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 A$1.78

$0.52 ฿17.40

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.91 A$45.72

$4.44 ฿149

618.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 A$20.09

$18.32 ฿616

-23.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.41 A$9.18

$1.86 ฿62.7

244.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 A$5.90

$2.68 ฿90.2

53.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 A$2.94

$1.41 ฿47.49

45.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.66 A$46.79

$11.70 ฿394

179.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 A$2.83

$3.11 ฿105

-36.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.99

$1.04 ฿35.08

33.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.96 A$48.65

$14.11 ฿475

140.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.70

$1.31 ฿44.13

-9.92%

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

$28.7K A$41.2K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

3.32%

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

$22.7K A$32.5K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-31.69%

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

$208 A$298

$122 ฿4,120

69.80%

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

$30.59 A$43.83

$13.59 ฿457

125.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 A$77.7

$18.70 ฿629

190.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.5 A$89.5

$60.5 ฿2,035

3.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.51 A$19.36

$16.98 ฿572

-20.44%

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 A$18.96

$9.07 ฿305

45.98%

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

$1,600 A$2,292

$706 ฿23.8K

126.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,929 A$12.8K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-43.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 A$101

$58.6 ฿1,970

20.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.30 A$69.2

$35.36 ฿1,190

36.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 A$133

$115 ฿3,885

-19.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 A$143

$83.7 ฿2,818

19.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 A$1,864

$626 ฿21.1K

107.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 A$1,046

$445 ฿15.0K

63.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,504 A$3,587

$2,040 ฿68.7K

22.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,753 A$2,512

$1,492 ฿50.2K

17.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,791 A$8,296

$3,483 ฿117.2K

66.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,786 A$6,857

$2,577 ฿86.7K

85.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,272 A$4,687

$500 ฿16.8K

554.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.3

5.33

18.20%

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

Last update for Surfers Paradise: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,301 in Surfers Paradise and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surfers Paradise pays 555% 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: $93.0 in Surfers Paradise vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 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

Surfers Paradise vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 555% higher in Surfers Paradise, 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: $1,301 in Surfers Paradise versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,600 in Surfers Paradise 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 19% higher in Surfers Paradise. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,938 in Surfers Paradise, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Surfers Paradise. 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 Surfers Paradise, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.