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: $1,965 in Victoria versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,172 in Victoria versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,378 in Victoria versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Victoria is roughly 56% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Victoria is 46% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.84 SCR 229

$4.56 ฿149

247.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.95 SCR 649

$46.63 ฿1,519

-3.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.44 SCR 136

$8.47 ฿276

11.45%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SCR 70.2

$3.03 ฿98.6

60.40%

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

$2.76 SCR 39.88

$0.69 ฿22.45

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 SCR 38.21

$0.37 ฿11.92

616.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 SCR 56.1

$2.49 ฿81.0

56.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 SCR 65.9

$3.66 ฿119

24.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 SCR 26.71

$2.18 ฿71.0

-15.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 SCR 24.67

$1.90 ฿62.0

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SCR 41.26

$2.20 ฿71.6

30.00%

Eggs

$3.52 SCR 50.8

$2.22 ฿72.4

58.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$34.01 SCR 491

$19.99 ฿651

70.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 SCR 87.6

$3.66 ฿119

65.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 SCR 173

$13.25 ฿432

-9.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 SCR 32.77

$3.23 ฿105

-29.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 SCR 36.73

$1.70 ฿55.3

49.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 SCR 31.36

$2.39 ฿78.0

-9.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.00 SCR 86.6

$2.08 ฿67.7

188.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 SCR 28.51

$1.59 ฿51.8

23.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 SCR 21.83

$1.48 ฿48.31

2.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 SCR 19.94

$1.03 ฿33.54

33.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 SCR 21.68

$0.52 ฿16.83

188.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.77 SCR 314

$4.25 ฿138

412.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.55 SCR 152

$18.79 ฿612

-43.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 SCR 62.8

$1.76 ฿57.2

147.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 SCR 96.0

$2.76 ฿89.8

140.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 SCR 11.71

$1.36 ฿44.32

-40.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.11 SCR 363

$11.36 ฿370

121.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 SCR 101

$3.14 ฿102

121.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 SCR 30.57

$1.04 ฿33.74

103.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.82 SCR 301

$13.77 ฿448

51.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 SCR 21.01

$1.34 ฿43.79

8.21%

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

$26.0K SCR 375.2K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-6.14%

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

$34.1K SCR 492.1K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

0.62%

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

$135 SCR 1,956

$124 ฿4,025

9.60%

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

$40.87 SCR 590

$13.52 ฿440

202.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$150 SCR 2,160

$18.69 ฿609

700.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.7 SCR 1,324

$61.8 ฿2,013

48.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.31 SCR 221

$17.25 ฿562

-11.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.20 SCR 75.1

$9.14 ฿298

-43.11%

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

$158 SCR 2,275

$703 ฿22.9K

-77.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,479 SCR 122.5K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-46.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 SCR 958

$59.5 ฿1,937

11.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.59 SCR 398

$35.07 ฿1,142

-21.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 SCR 1,015

$115 ฿3,754

-39.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 SCR 1,027

$84.1 ฿2,737

-15.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 SCR 13.5K

$619 ฿20.1K

50.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 SCR 10.6K

$433 ฿14.1K

69.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,986 SCR 28.7K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-3.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 SCR 26.1K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

19.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$481 SCR 6,942

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-86.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,276 SCR 18.4K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-51.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 SCR 14.1K

$507 ฿16.5K

92.24%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $933 in Victoria and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Victoria pays 92% 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 $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $293, 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 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Victoria pays 92% 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: $933 in Victoria versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $158 in Victoria versus $703 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 $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,965 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 56% less than in Victoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.