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: $1,584 in Vic versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,244 in Vic versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,905 in Vic versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in Vic is roughly 29% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vic is 19% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.55 €13.39

$4.51 ฿147

244.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.11 €27.65

$46.62 ฿1,515

-31.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 €9.10

$8.49 ฿276

24.50%

Cappuccino

$1.79 €1.54

$3.08 ฿100

-41.88%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.68 ฿22.07

335.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.34

$0.36 ฿11.75

333.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 €2.03

$2.43 ฿78.8

-3.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.05

$3.63 ฿118

-2.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.23

$2.19 ฿71.1

-35.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.81 ฿59.0

30.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 €1.10

$2.23 ฿72.5

-42.60%

Eggs

$2.57 €2.21

$2.24 ฿72.7

14.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 €9.13

$19.60 ฿637

-45.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 €5.68

$3.72 ฿121

77.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.04 €13.81

$13.47 ฿438

19.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$3.36 ฿109

-43.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.62 ฿52.5

-1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 €1.12

$2.41 ฿78.3

-46.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.99 ฿64.6

2.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 €0.63

$1.53 ฿49.76

-52.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.45 ฿47.19

63.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.01 ฿32.96

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 €0.34

$0.48 ฿15.73

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.67 €5.75

$4.27 ฿139

56.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$19.12 ฿621

-75.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.84 ฿59.7

-33.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.74 ฿89.1

-8.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.42 ฿46.06

16.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.68 €29.00

$11.72 ฿381

187.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 €2.15

$3.00 ฿97.6

-16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 €0.81

$1.05 ฿34.00

-10.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.92 €25.76

$13.90 ฿452

115.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.29 ฿41.94

37.21%

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

$38.3K €33.0K

$28.0K ฿911.1K

36.66%

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

$29.7K €25.6K

$33.5K ฿1.1M

-11.24%

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

$117 €101

$122 ฿3,964

-4.15%

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

$20.63 €17.76

$13.93 ฿453

48.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.04 €31.04

$18.87 ฿613

90.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.53 €40.93

$61.3 ฿1,992

-22.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.07 €12.98

$16.84 ฿547

-10.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.91 €7.67

$8.89 ฿289

0.22%

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

$521 €448

$691 ฿22.5K

-24.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,198 €7,059

$16.2K ฿525.2K

-49.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.98 €30.12

$57.8 ฿1,878

-39.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.25

$35.39 ฿1,150

18.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 €76.0

$113 ฿3,685

-22.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €95.8

$83.0 ฿2,698

33.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$850 €732

$607 ฿19.7K

40.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 €610

$448 ฿14.6K

58.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 €1,125

$2,029 ฿66.0K

-35.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 €864

$1,493 ฿48.5K

-32.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,360 €2,893

$3,585 ฿116.5K

-6.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 €1,890

$2,585 ฿84.0K

-15.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,306 €1,985

$505 ฿16.4K

356.81%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $850 in Vic and $607 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vic pays 357% 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 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Vic pays 357% 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: $850 in Vic versus $607 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $521 in Vic versus $691 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 $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,584 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 29% less than in Vic. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.