Cost of Living Comparison Between Victoria and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Victoria and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,993 in Victoria versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,174 in Victoria versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,355 in Victoria versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Victoria is roughly 58% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Victoria is 50% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.85 SCR 229

$4.48 ฿150

253.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 SCR 644

$45.59 ฿1,521

-2.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.09 SCR 131

$8.76 ฿292

3.77%

Cappuccino

$5.03 SCR 72.7

$2.97 ฿99.0

69.36%

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

$2.71 SCR 39.17

$0.69 ฿22.90

292.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 SCR 37.83

$0.39 ฿13.04

571.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 SCR 56.8

$2.53 ฿84.4

55.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 SCR 67.5

$3.75 ฿125

24.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 SCR 26.83

$2.15 ฿71.6

-13.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 SCR 26.01

$1.82 ฿60.6

-1.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 SCR 41.16

$2.18 ฿72.9

30.73%

Eggs

$3.52 SCR 51.0

$2.25 ฿75.0

56.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$33.94 SCR 491

$20.00 ฿667

69.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 SCR 86.9

$3.63 ฿121

65.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 SCR 172

$13.56 ฿452

-12.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 SCR 32.46

$3.24 ฿108

-30.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 SCR 36.66

$1.64 ฿54.6

54.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 SCR 31.96

$2.33 ฿77.8

-5.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.00 SCR 86.8

$2.07 ฿69.1

189.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 SCR 30.18

$1.55 ฿51.6

34.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 SCR 22.16

$1.46 ฿48.54

4.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 SCR 19.80

$0.98 ฿32.86

39.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 SCR 21.72

$0.48 ฿16.09

212.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.12 SCR 320

$4.35 ฿145

408.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 SCR 147

$18.57 ฿620

-45.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.21 SCR 60.8

$1.86 ฿61.9

126.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.44 SCR 93.0

$2.65 ฿88.6

143.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 SCR 11.45

$1.42 ฿47.28

-44.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.32 SCR 366

$11.57 ฿386

118.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 SCR 98.2

$3.17 ฿106

114.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 SCR 29.24

$1.03 ฿34.41

96.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.89 SCR 302

$13.89 ฿463

50.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 SCR 20.30

$1.34 ฿44.84

4.48%

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

$26.0K SCR 375.1K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-6.62%

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

$34.2K SCR 494.0K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

2.38%

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

$136 SCR 1,971

$123 ฿4,105

10.82%

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

$41.83 SCR 605

$13.77 ฿459

203.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$150 SCR 2,172

$18.33 ฿611

719.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.6 SCR 1,338

$60.7 ฿2,025

52.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.48 SCR 224

$17.16 ฿573

-9.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 SCR 75.7

$8.87 ฿296

-41.04%

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

$157 SCR 2,276

$688 ฿22.9K

-77.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,459 SCR 122.3K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-46.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 SCR 926

$59.3 ฿1,978

8.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.35 SCR 395

$34.69 ฿1,157

-21.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 SCR 996

$115 ฿3,843

-40.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.5 SCR 1,048

$83.8 ฿2,794

-13.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$962 SCR 13.9K

$621 ฿20.7K

54.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 SCR 10.8K

$446 ฿14.9K

66.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 SCR 29.0K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-1.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 SCR 26.1K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

20.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$435 SCR 6,285

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-87.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,134 SCR 16.4K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-55.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$957 SCR 13.8K

$494 ฿16.5K

93.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.5

5.33

209.57%

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

Last update for Victoria: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $962 in Victoria and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Victoria pays 94% 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: $45.00 in Victoria vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $382 vs $291, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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

Victoria vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 94% higher in Victoria, 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: $962 in Victoria versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $157 in Victoria versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Victoria. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,993 in Victoria, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Victoria. 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 Victoria, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Victoria 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 58% less than in Victoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.