Cost of Living Comparison Between Townsville and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Townsville and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,756 in Townsville versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,042 in Townsville versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,328 in Townsville versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Townsville is roughly 124% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Townsville is 101% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.06 A$29.56

$4.41 ฿147

377.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 A$96.9

$32.26 ฿1,075

114.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.30 A$17.27

$8.93 ฿298

37.74%

Cappuccino

$3.64 A$5.11

$2.90 ฿96.5

25.52%

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

$2.66 A$3.73

$0.88 ฿29.33

202.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.42

$0.48 ฿16.03

406.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.81 A$12.36

$2.35 ฿78.3

274.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$9.96

$3.72 ฿124

90.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 A$2.57

$1.87 ฿62.2

-2.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 A$3.25

$1.47 ฿48.86

57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 A$2.04

$1.55 ฿51.7

-6.45%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.41

$2.10 ฿70.0

151.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.98 A$11.20

$19.59 ฿653

-59.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.10 A$14.18

$3.42 ฿114

195.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.50 A$18.95

$11.38 ฿379

18.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.72

$2.98 ฿99.4

36.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.77

$1.68 ฿56.1

59.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 A$5.05

$2.21 ฿73.6

62.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.08

$2.16 ฿72.0

100.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.78

$1.52 ฿50.8

77.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.83

$1.34 ฿44.59

103.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 A$3.35

$1.13 ฿37.60

111.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 A$2.96

$0.55 ฿18.21

283.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.45 A$42.74

$4.26 ฿142

614.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 A$15.19

$19.09 ฿636

-43.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$7.11 A$9.97

$1.78 ฿59.3

299.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.73 A$12.25

$2.78 ฿92.7

214.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 A$3.14

$2.23 ฿74.3

0.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 A$114

$22.74 ฿758

255.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 A$5.46

$3.03 ฿101

28.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 A$3.42

$1.02 ฿34.09

138.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.4 A$76.3

$3.89 ฿130

1297.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 A$1.68

$1.49 ฿49.68

-19.46%

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

$28.8K A$40.4K

$26.6K ฿885.7K

8.36%

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

$35.4K A$49.7K

$27.0K ฿900.6K

30.97%

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

$389 A$546

$102 ฿3,414

279.31%

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

$36.84 A$51.7

$11.33 ฿377

225.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 A$95.6

$17.40 ฿580

291.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 A$78.6

$52.1 ฿1,735

7.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.58 A$28.88

$11.07 ฿369

85.91%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 A$22.08

$7.69 ฿256

104.55%

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

$2,146 A$3,012

$561 ฿18.7K

282.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K A$29.5K

$11.5K ฿383.4K

82.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 A$136

$63.0 ฿2,100

53.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.6 A$99.1

$29.52 ฿984

139.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 A$231

$98.0 ฿3,266

67.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 A$189

$88.5 ฿2,949

52.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 A$1,849

$738 ฿24.6K

78.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 A$1,669

$482 ฿16.1K

146.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,621 A$3,679

$2,107 ฿70.2K

24.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 A$2,955

$1,226 ฿40.8K

71.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,955 A$6,956

$3,617 ฿120.5K

37.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,175 A$5,861

$2,603 ฿86.7K

60.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,213 A$5,913

$494 ฿16.4K

753.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.57

-0.54%

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

Last update for Townsville: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,317 in Townsville and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Townsville pays 753% 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: $69.0 in Townsville vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $274 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

Townsville vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 124% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 753% higher in Townsville, 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: $1,317 in Townsville versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,146 in Townsville versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Townsville. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,756 in Townsville, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Townsville. 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 Townsville, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Townsville 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 124% less than in Townsville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.