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Melbourne vs Phuket cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฆ๐บ Melbourne
๐น๐ญ Phuket
At a glance
- Where Phuket is clearly cheaper: Bottled water (86%โ), Haircut (82%โ), Massage (81%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Melbourne is easier to travel (1.6 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Melbourne 2 vs Phuket 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Melbourne | Phuket | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | A$ 24$16 | เธฟ 130$3.94 | Phuket โ75% |
| Street food1 item | A$ 15$10 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | Phuket โ76% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | A$ 55$36.7 | เธฟ 450$13.6 | Phuket โ63% |
| Coffeeone cup | A$ 5.6$3.73 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | Phuket โ35% |
| Beerone bottle | A$ 14$9.33 | เธฟ 110$3.33 | Phuket โ64% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | A$ 20$13.3 | เธฟ 250$7.58 | Phuket โ43% |
| Bottled water | A$ 4$2.67 | เธฟ 12$0.36 | Phuket โ86% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | A$ 4.8$3.2 | เธฟ 25$0.76 | Phuket โ76% |
| Taxi5 km in town | A$ 18$12 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Phuket โ49% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | A$ 11$7.33 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Phuket โ59% |
| Transitone ride | A$ 5.7$3.8 | เธฟ 40$1.21 | Phuket โ68% |
| Scooter rentalper day | A$ 40$26.7 | เธฟ 300$9.09 | Phuket โ66% |
| Hotel night3-star | A$ 190$127 | เธฟ 2,000$60.6 | Phuket โ52% |
| Studio rent (month) | A$ 2,150$1,433 | เธฟ 16,000$485 | Phuket โ66% |
| Laundry | A$ 7.5$5 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Phuket โ70% |
| SIM card1 week data | A$ 30$20 | เธฟ 299$9.06 | Phuket โ55% |
| Haircutcut | A$ 38$25.3 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Phuket โ82% |
| Massage1 hour | A$ 85$56.7 | เธฟ 350$10.6 | Phuket โ81% |
| Half-day tourper person | A$ 90$60 | เธฟ 1,000$30.3 | Phuket โ49% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | A$ 38$25.3 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Phuket โ76% |
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, Melbourne or Phuket?
Phuket is 59% cheaper than Melbourne. Daily budget $255 vs $109; a month $5,229 vs $2,006.
Which is easier to travel, Melbourne or Phuket?
Melbourne is easier: Melbourne 1.6/5 vs Phuket 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Melbourne and Phuket?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Melbourne is about $5,229 and Phuket about $2,006 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.