Cost of Living Comparison Between Northam and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Northam and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,156 in Northam versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,228 in Northam versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,300 in Northam versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Northam is roughly 71% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Northam is 60% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.95 A$22.54

$4.56 ฿149

249.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 A$111

$46.63 ฿1,519

68.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 A$14.96

$8.47 ฿276

25.03%

Cappuccino

$3.74 A$5.28

$3.03 ฿98.6

23.43%

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

$2.47 A$3.49

$0.69 ฿22.45

257.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 A$2.80

$0.37 ฿11.92

435.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 A$11.00

$2.49 ฿81.0

212.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 A$8.98

$3.66 ฿119

73.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.96

$2.18 ฿71.0

-36.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 A$3.39

$1.90 ฿62.0

26.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.79

$2.20 ฿71.6

-10.45%

Eggs

$4.13 A$5.83

$2.22 ฿72.4

86.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.71 A$8.06

$19.99 ฿651

-71.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.16 A$11.53

$3.66 ฿119

122.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 A$19.84

$13.25 ฿432

5.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.71

$3.23 ฿105

-18.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.31

$1.70 ฿55.3

79.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 A$4.15

$2.39 ฿78.0

23.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 A$6.50

$2.08 ฿67.7

121.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.41

$1.59 ฿51.8

51.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 A$2.42

$1.48 ฿48.31

15.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 A$2.71

$1.03 ฿33.54

86.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 A$0.89

$0.52 ฿16.83

21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.46 A$45.87

$4.25 ฿138

663.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.55 A$5.01

$18.79 ฿612

-81.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.92 A$5.54

$1.76 ฿57.2

122.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 A$5.89

$2.76 ฿89.8

51.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 A$3.58

$1.36 ฿44.32

86.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 A$92.2

$11.36 ฿370

474.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 A$5.63

$3.14 ฿102

26.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 A$3.13

$1.04 ฿33.74

112.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.1 A$70.8

$13.77 ฿448

264.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.66

$1.34 ฿43.79

-12.69%

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

$28.8K A$40.6K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

3.90%

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

$24.8K A$35.1K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-26.67%

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

$154 A$217

$124 ฿4,025

24.54%

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

$22.47 A$31.74

$13.52 ฿440

66.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 A$79.1

$18.69 ฿609

199.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.33 A$69.7

$61.8 ฿2,013

-20.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.82 A$22.35

$17.25 ฿562

-8.29%

Cinema Ticket

$16.31 A$23.04

$9.14 ฿298

78.45%

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

$1,766 A$2,495

$703 ฿22.9K

151.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K A$16.9K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-24.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 A$98.3

$59.5 ฿1,937

16.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.51 A$68.5

$35.07 ฿1,142

38.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$146

$115 ฿3,754

-10.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$152

$84.1 ฿2,737

27.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 A$1,761

$619 ฿20.1K

101.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 A$1,507

$433 ฿14.1K

146.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 A$2,816

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-3.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,648 A$2,328

$1,511 ฿49.2K

9.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,808 A$9,619

$3,646 ฿118.7K

86.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,897 A$8,332

$2,626 ฿85.5K

124.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

5.33

20.45%

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

Last update for Northam: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,246 in Northam and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Northam vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $293, with Northam 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

Northam vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 71% lower than in Northam. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,233 in Northam and $1,892 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,246 in Northam versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $79.0 in Northam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,156 per month in Northam versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,156 in Northam, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Northam. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,261 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Northam 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 71% less than in Northam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.