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: $2,028 in Victoria versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,213 in Victoria versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,398 in Victoria versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Victoria is roughly 65% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Victoria is 48% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 SCR 260

$4.41 ฿147

305.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.5 SCR 749

$32.26 ฿1,073

59.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.86 SCR 187

$8.93 ฿297

44.01%

Cappuccino

$4.00 SCR 58.1

$2.90 ฿96.3

37.93%

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

$2.34 SCR 34.04

$0.88 ฿29.27

165.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 SCR 38.92

$0.48 ฿16.00

458.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.16 SCR 60.4

$2.35 ฿78.2

77.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 SCR 57.1

$3.72 ฿124

5.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 SCR 27.52

$1.87 ฿62.0

1.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 SCR 25.12

$1.47 ฿48.75

17.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 SCR 37.93

$1.55 ฿51.6

68.39%

Eggs

$3.85 SCR 56.0

$2.10 ฿69.9

83.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.48 SCR 458

$19.59 ฿651

60.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 SCR 90.5

$3.42 ฿114

82.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.63 SCR 184

$11.38 ฿378

10.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 SCR 32.28

$2.98 ฿99.2

-25.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 SCR 41.54

$1.68 ฿56.0

70.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 SCR 34.97

$2.21 ฿73.5

9.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.53 SCR 94.9

$2.16 ฿71.9

202.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 SCR 29.05

$1.52 ฿50.7

31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 SCR 26.31

$1.34 ฿44.49

35.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 SCR 21.73

$1.13 ฿37.53

32.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SCR 19.49

$0.55 ฿18.17

143.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.51 SCR 356

$4.26 ฿142

475.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.08 SCR 147

$19.09 ฿635

-47.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.42 SCR 64.2

$1.78 ฿59.2

148.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 SCR 82.8

$2.78 ฿92.5

105.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 SCR 10.86

$2.23 ฿74.1

-66.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.21 SCR 497

$22.74 ฿756

50.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 SCR 22.84

$1.49 ฿49.57

5.37%

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

$27.8K SCR 404.0K

$26.6K ฿883.8K

4.55%

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

$33.3K SCR 484.4K

$27.0K ฿898.7K

23.28%

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

$141 SCR 2,044

$102 ฿3,407

37.20%

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

$41.98 SCR 610

$11.33 ฿377

270.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$142 SCR 2,070

$17.40 ฿578

718.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.9 SCR 1,146

$52.1 ฿1,732

51.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.00 SCR 116

$11.07 ฿368

-27.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.30 SCR 106

$7.69 ฿256

-5.07%

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

$143 SCR 2,077

$561 ฿18.6K

-74.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,666 SCR 126.0K

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-24.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.12 SCR 540

$63.0 ฿2,096

-41.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 SCR 362

$29.52 ฿982

-15.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 SCR 1,319

$98.0 ฿3,259

-7.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 SCR 1,463

$88.5 ฿2,943

13.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$959 SCR 13.9K

$738 ฿24.5K

29.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$809 SCR 11.8K

$482 ฿16.0K

67.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,229 SCR 32.4K

$2,107 ฿70.0K

5.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 SCR 25.2K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

41.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$449 SCR 6,525

$3,617 ฿120.3K

-87.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,186 SCR 17.2K

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-54.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$940 SCR 13.7K

$494 ฿16.4K

90.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

115.44%

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

Last update for Victoria: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $959 in Victoria and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Victoria pays 90% 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: $52.0 in Victoria vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 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

Victoria vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 90% 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: $959 in Victoria versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $143 in Victoria 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 39% higher in Victoria. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,028 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 65% less than in Victoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.