Cost of Living Comparison Between Vic and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Vic and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,568 in Vic versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,225 in Vic versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,882 in Vic versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Vic is roughly 27% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vic is 17% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.72 €13.43

$4.63 ฿151

239.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.69 €27.06

$46.84 ฿1,523

-32.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 €8.83

$8.84 ฿287

16.97%

Cappuccino

$1.86 €1.59

$3.00 ฿97.4

-38.00%

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

$2.95 €2.52

$0.74 ฿24.11

298.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.37 ฿11.88

318.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 €1.94

$2.44 ฿79.3

-6.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 €3.00

$3.61 ฿117

-2.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$2.26 ฿73.5

-38.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €1.96

$1.84 ฿59.8

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 €1.04

$2.24 ฿73.0

-45.54%

Eggs

$2.62 €2.23

$2.32 ฿75.3

12.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.63 €9.08

$19.67 ฿639

-45.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 €5.71

$3.65 ฿119

83.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 €13.86

$13.10 ฿426

23.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 €1.61

$3.39 ฿110

-44.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.41

$1.64 ฿53.4

1.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 €1.06

$2.41 ฿78.5

-48.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.82

$2.03 ฿66.0

4.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 €0.63

$1.56 ฿50.6

-52.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 €1.98

$1.50 ฿48.66

54.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 €0.86

$1.02 ฿33.30

-0.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 €0.37

$0.49 ฿15.91

-12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.40 €5.47

$4.45 ฿145

43.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.18 €3.57

$18.88 ฿614

-77.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.05

$1.78 ฿57.7

-30.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.15

$2.75 ฿89.5

-8.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.40 ฿45.54

22.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.29 €29.28

$11.48 ฿373

198.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 €2.09

$3.12 ฿101

-21.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.87

$1.00 ฿32.48

2.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.84 €26.34

$14.09 ฿458

118.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.58

$1.35 ฿43.93

37.04%

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

$39.1K €33.4K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

43.91%

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

$30.4K €26.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-7.67%

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

$116 €99.3

$125 ฿4,063

-6.94%

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

$21.11 €18.03

$13.57 ฿441

55.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.23 €30.08

$18.52 ฿602

90.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.26 €41.21

$61.5 ฿1,999

-21.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.07 €12.87

$16.84 ฿547

-10.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.49 €7.25

$9.19 ฿299

-7.62%

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

$516 €440

$698 ฿22.7K

-26.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,288 €7,078

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-46.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.19 €29.20

$57.8 ฿1,878

-40.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.26 €36.09

$35.24 ฿1,146

19.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 €77.5

$113 ฿3,677

-19.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €96.4

$86.4 ฿2,808

30.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$840 €717

$616 ฿20.0K

36.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 €593

$446 ฿14.5K

55.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 €1,116

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-36.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$990 €845

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-33.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,422 €2,069

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-35.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,314 €1,976

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-12.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,187 €1,868

$524 ฿17.0K

317.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

5.33

-29.64%

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

Last update for Vic: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $840 in Vic and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vic pays 318% 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: $32.00 in Vic vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $292 per month, with Vic 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

Vic vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Vic pays 318% 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: $840 in Vic versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $516 in Vic versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Vic pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,568 in Vic, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vic. 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 Vic, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Vic 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 27% less than in Vic. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.