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Bangkok vs Melbourne cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐น๐ญ Bangkok
๐ฆ๐บ Melbourne
At a glance
- Where Bangkok is clearly cheaper: Bottled water (89%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (88%โ), Haircut (82%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Melbourne is easier to travel (1.6 vs 2.6). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Bangkok 4 vs Melbourne 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bangkok | Melbourne | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | เธฟ 100$3.03 | A$ 24$16 | Bangkok โ81% |
| Street food1 item | เธฟ 60$1.82 | A$ 15$10 | Bangkok โ82% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | เธฟ 400$12.1 | A$ 55$36.7 | Bangkok โ67% |
| Coffeeone cup | เธฟ 85$2.58 | A$ 5.6$3.73 | Bangkok โ31% |
| Beerone bottle | เธฟ 130$3.94 | A$ 14$9.33 | Bangkok โ58% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | เธฟ 300$9.09 | A$ 20$13.3 | Bangkok โ32% |
| Bottled water | เธฟ 10$0.3 | A$ 4$2.67 | Bangkok โ89% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | เธฟ 25$0.76 | A$ 4.8$3.2 | Bangkok โ76% |
| Taxi5 km in town | เธฟ 115$3.48 | A$ 18$12 | Bangkok โ71% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | เธฟ 30$0.91 | A$ 11$7.33 | Bangkok โ88% |
| Transitone ride | เธฟ 35$1.06 | A$ 5.7$3.8 | Bangkok โ72% |
| Scooter rentalper day | เธฟ 250$7.58 | A$ 40$26.7 | Bangkok โ72% |
| Hotel night3-star | เธฟ 1,600$48.5 | A$ 190$127 | Bangkok โ62% |
| Studio rent (month) | เธฟ 18,000$545 | A$ 2,150$1,433 | Bangkok โ62% |
| Laundry | เธฟ 40$1.21 | A$ 7.5$5 | Bangkok โ76% |
| SIM card1 week data | เธฟ 299$9.06 | A$ 30$20 | Bangkok โ55% |
| Haircutcut | เธฟ 150$4.55 | A$ 38$25.3 | Bangkok โ82% |
| Massage1 hour | เธฟ 350$10.6 | A$ 85$56.7 | Bangkok โ81% |
| Half-day tourper person | เธฟ 1,200$36.4 | A$ 90$60 | Bangkok โ39% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | เธฟ 500$15.2 | A$ 38$25.3 | Bangkok โ40% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bangkok or Melbourne?
Bangkok is 66% cheaper than Melbourne. Daily budget $85.6 vs $255; a month $1,823 vs $5,229.
Which is easier to travel, Bangkok or Melbourne?
Melbourne is easier: Melbourne 1.6/5 vs Bangkok 2.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bangkok and Melbourne?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bangkok is about $1,823 and Melbourne about $5,229 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.