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: $1,902 in Surfers Paradise versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,227 in Surfers Paradise versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,552 in Surfers Paradise versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Surfers Paradise is roughly 50% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Surfers Paradise is 42% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.52 A$23.03

$4.70 ฿153

251.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.5 A$132

$45.37 ฿1,482

108.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 A$13.78

$8.43 ฿275

17.32%

Cappuccino

$3.62 A$5.05

$2.93 ฿95.6

23.55%

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

$2.70 A$3.76

$0.69 ฿22.40

291.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$2.98

$0.37 ฿11.99

478.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 A$8.79

$2.41 ฿78.6

161.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 A$10.93

$3.72 ฿122

111.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 A$2.14

$2.23 ฿72.9

-30.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 A$3.23

$1.83 ฿59.8

26.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.23

$2.17 ฿70.8

6.91%

Eggs

$4.45 A$6.20

$2.21 ฿72.3

101.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 A$11.71

$19.74 ฿645

-57.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 A$11.44

$3.63 ฿119

126.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.31 A$18.55

$13.53 ฿442

-1.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 A$4.91

$3.28 ฿107

7.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.78

$1.61 ฿52.6

68.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 A$4.77

$2.41 ฿78.6

41.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 A$5.34

$2.08 ฿68.1

84.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.43

$1.53 ฿49.93

60.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.33

$1.48 ฿48.36

61.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 A$3.07

$0.99 ฿32.29

122.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 A$1.80

$0.51 ฿16.67

152.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.84 A$44.36

$4.41 ฿144

622.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.24 A$19.84

$19.38 ฿633

-26.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.42 A$8.95

$1.78 ฿58.1

260.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 A$5.94

$2.71 ฿88.6

57.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 A$2.87

$1.37 ฿44.79

50.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.10 A$44.73

$11.39 ฿372

181.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 A$2.75

$3.02 ฿98.6

-34.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 A$1.92

$0.99 ฿32.48

39.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.01 A$47.40

$14.10 ฿461

141.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 A$1.67

$1.36 ฿44.51

-11.76%

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

$29.1K A$40.5K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

3.11%

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

$22.4K A$31.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-31.98%

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

$207 A$288

$122 ฿3,975

69.94%

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

$30.79 A$42.90

$13.57 ฿443

126.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 A$74.5

$18.31 ฿598

192.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 A$88.2

$60.2 ฿1,967

5.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.75 A$19.16

$17.14 ฿560

-19.78%

Cinema Ticket

$12.91 A$17.99

$8.69 ฿284

48.56%

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

$1,595 A$2,223

$693 ฿22.6K

130.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,770 A$12.2K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-44.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 A$98.1

$59.5 ฿1,944

18.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.78 A$66.6

$34.77 ฿1,136

37.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 A$129

$115 ฿3,743

-19.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 A$138

$83.3 ฿2,720

18.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 A$1,785

$613 ฿20.0K

108.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 A$996

$437 ฿14.3K

63.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,414 A$3,363

$2,094 ฿68.4K

15.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,742 A$2,428

$1,509 ฿49.3K

15.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,009 A$8,373

$3,749 ฿122.5K

60.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,938 A$6,881

$2,616 ฿85.4K

88.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,388 A$4,721

$508 ฿16.6K

566.80%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,281 in Surfers Paradise and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surfers Paradise pays 567% 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: $95.0 in Surfers Paradise vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 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

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 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Surfers Paradise pays 567% 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: $1,281 in Surfers Paradise versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,595 in Surfers Paradise 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 17% higher in Surfers Paradise. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,902 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 50% less than in Surfers Paradise. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.