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: $2,494 in Northam versus $1,242 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,608 in Northam versus $2,078 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,721 in Northam versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Northam is roughly 101% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Northam is 84% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 A$28.26

$4.60 ฿153

333.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 A$121

$34.86 ฿1,158

144.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 A$15.15

$8.57 ฿285

24.62%

Cappuccino

$4.19 A$5.94

$2.82 ฿93.6

48.58%

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

$2.79 A$3.96

$0.78 ฿25.85

257.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 A$3.12

$0.48 ฿15.81

358.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.54 A$12.12

$2.42 ฿80.5

252.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.45 A$11.99

$3.71 ฿123

127.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.42

$1.79 ฿59.4

-5.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 A$3.55

$1.41 ฿46.69

77.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 A$2.96

$1.60 ฿53.0

30.62%

Eggs

$4.52 A$6.41

$2.20 ฿73.2

105.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 A$9.04

$19.64 ฿653

-67.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 A$12.91

$3.50 ฿116

160.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.88 A$19.69

$11.24 ฿374

23.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.90

$2.86 ฿95.1

-3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.61

$1.68 ฿55.9

93.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.55

$2.31 ฿76.7

38.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 A$7.67

$2.10 ฿69.7

157.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.98

$1.48 ฿49.10

89.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 A$2.69

$1.35 ฿44.71

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 A$3.17

$1.07 ฿35.72

109.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 A$1.04

$0.58 ฿19.15

25.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$40.62 A$57.6

$4.31 ฿143

842.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.42 A$4.85

$18.67 ฿621

-81.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 A$5.98

$1.79 ฿59.4

135.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 A$5.02

$2.77 ฿92.1

27.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 A$3.89

$2.19 ฿72.6

25.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.6 A$121

$22.98 ฿763

272.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 A$5.08

$3.03 ฿101

18.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.01

$1.02 ฿33.85

39.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.96 A$58.1

$3.91 ฿130

947.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.86

$1.43 ฿47.45

-8.39%

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

$27.8K A$39.5K

$27.2K ฿904.2K

2.27%

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

$30.2K A$42.8K

$26.9K ฿893.1K

12.34%

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

$198 A$281

$102 ฿3,396

93.64%

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

$24.36 A$34.55

$10.95 ฿364

122.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.4 A$87.1

$17.06 ฿567

259.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 A$73.4

$53.2 ฿1,768

-2.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.31 A$27.40

$11.11 ฿369

73.81%

Cinema Ticket

$17.41 A$24.70

$7.82 ฿260

122.63%

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

$2,254 A$3,198

$552 ฿18.3K

308.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K A$33.2K

$11.4K ฿379.8K

104.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.9 A$109

$62.4 ฿2,072

23.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.5 A$92.9

$28.98 ฿963

126.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$167

$97.6 ฿3,244

20.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 A$223

$88.3 ฿2,935

77.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 A$1,861

$746 ฿24.8K

75.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,088 A$1,544

$480 ฿16.0K

126.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,257 A$3,202

$2,112 ฿70.2K

6.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 A$2,566

$1,195 ฿39.7K

51.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,055 A$8,589

$3,579 ฿118.9K

69.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,568 A$6,480

$2,576 ฿85.6K

77.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$509 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.57

7.00%

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

Last update for Northam: August 3, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,312 in Northam and $746 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Northam vs $35.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $313 vs $272 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 101% 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 $3,741 in Northam and $1,863 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: $1,312 in Northam versus $746 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 $35.00 versus $85.0 in Northam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,494 per month in Northam versus $1,242 in Phuket – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,242 in Phuket versus $2,494 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 $1,242 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 101% less than in Northam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.