Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wollongong and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,467 in Wollongong, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
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Wollongong Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,467

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wollongong and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wollongong and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,467 in Wollongong versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Wollongong $2,467
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,619 in Wollongong versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Wollongong $3,619
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,772 in Wollongong versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Wollongong $4,772
Phuket $3,154

Living in Wollongong is roughly 93% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Wollongong is 81% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.38 A$24.62

$4.47 ฿151

288.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.8 A$119

$32.41 ฿1,092

158.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 A$15.10

$8.81 ฿297

21.00%

Cappuccino

$3.47 A$4.92

$2.83 ฿95.3

22.61%

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

$3.03 A$4.30

$0.87 ฿29.37

248.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.23

$0.49 ฿16.64

365.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 A$10.16

$2.56 ฿86.2

180.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$9.99

$3.68 ฿124

91.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.68

$1.66 ฿55.9

-28.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.21

$1.46 ฿49.25

103.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 A$3.13

$1.50 ฿50.4

47.33%

Eggs

$3.96 A$5.61

$2.09 ฿70.4

89.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 A$14.66

$19.07 ฿642

-45.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 A$13.36

$3.30 ฿111

185.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 A$22.22

$10.91 ฿368

43.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 A$4.12

$2.93 ฿98.7

-0.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 A$3.60

$1.69 ฿56.9

50.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.73

$2.25 ฿75.7

48.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.67

$2.08 ฿70.0

126.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.28

$1.51 ฿50.9

52.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.66

$1.38 ฿46.47

86.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 A$3.59

$1.07 ฿35.91

137.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.90

$0.52 ฿17.49

157.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.34 A$64.2

$4.20 ฿142

979.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 A$19.70

$18.79 ฿633

-26.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.48 A$6.35

$1.82 ฿61.4

146.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.90

$2.84 ฿95.7

71.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 A$3.32

$1.45 ฿48.93

62.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$196

$56.7 ฿1,909

143.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 A$5.64

$3.02 ฿102

31.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.21

$1.02 ฿34.29

52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.53 A$61.7

$3.69 ฿124

1079.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.47 ฿49.70

-9.52%

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

$28.5K A$40.4K

$26.8K ฿902.4K

6.62%

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

$24.8K A$35.1K

$26.7K ฿899.5K

-7.13%

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

$186 A$263

$96.4 ฿3,247

92.78%

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

$26.37 A$37.36

$11.26 ฿380

134.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.87 A$70.7

$16.85 ฿568

195.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 A$86.9

$67.2 ฿2,266

-8.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.78 A$19.52

$10.73 ฿361

28.42%

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 A$19.14

$7.50 ฿253

80.13%

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

$2,193 A$3,107

$476 ฿16.0K

360.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K A$28.7K

$11.3K ฿379.6K

80.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 A$100

$62.4 ฿2,102

13.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 A$79.0

$28.41 ฿957

96.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$94.3 ฿3,178

12.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$156

$85.8 ฿2,892

28.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 A$1,984

$716 ฿24.1K

95.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 A$1,646

$491 ฿16.5K

136.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 A$3,397

$1,927 ฿64.9K

24.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 A$2,597

$1,431 ฿48.2K

28.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,469 A$6,330

$4,175 ฿140.7K

7.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 A$5,055

$3,045 ฿102.6K

17.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,107 A$7,234

$502 ฿16.9K

916.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.23

5.57

-6.10%

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

Last update for Wollongong: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Wollongong

$1.2K 47.1%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 57.8% $671

Groceries & Markets

Wollongong

$357 14.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 25.3% $90

Eating Out

Wollongong

$284 11.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 57.1% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wollongong

$262 10.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 52.5% $138

Getting Around

Wollongong

$159 6.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 55.7% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Wollongong

$155 6.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 21.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Wollongong

$88 3.6%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 6.9% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,400 in Wollongong and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wollongong pays about 10 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $84 in Wollongong vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

20:49 8:49 PM

16:49 4:49 PM

4 h behind Wollongong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

280,153

79,308

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.706 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.633 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Wollongong Phuket 7,250 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Wollongong vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 48% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Wollongong is about 10 times higher, 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: $1,400 in Wollongong versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,193 in Wollongong versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Wollongong. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,467 in Wollongong, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wollongong. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Wollongong and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Wollongong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.