Cost of Living Comparison Between Orange, NSW and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Orange, NSW and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Orange, NSW versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,695 in Orange, NSW versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,615 in Orange, NSW versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Orange, NSW is roughly 44% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Orange, NSW is 33% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.55 A$13.36

$4.63 ฿151

106.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 A$98.4

$46.84 ฿1,532

50.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 A$13.62

$8.84 ฿289

10.07%

Cappuccino

$3.35 A$4.69

$3.00 ฿98.0

11.67%

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

$2.67 A$3.74

$0.74 ฿24.25

260.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.15

$0.37 ฿11.95

508.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 A$8.90

$2.44 ฿79.8

160.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 A$9.80

$3.61 ฿118

93.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 A$2.00

$2.26 ฿73.9

-36.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.60

$1.84 ฿60.1

39.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 A$2.61

$2.24 ฿73.4

-16.96%

Eggs

$3.59 A$5.03

$2.32 ฿75.7

54.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 A$10.70

$19.67 ฿643

-61.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.30 A$11.61

$3.65 ฿119

127.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 A$18.13

$13.10 ฿428

-1.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.38

$3.39 ฿111

-7.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.57

$1.64 ฿53.7

55.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.14

$2.41 ฿79.0

22.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 A$5.06

$2.03 ฿66.4

78.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 A$2.23

$1.56 ฿50.9

2.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 A$3.07

$1.50 ฿48.94

46.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 A$2.67

$1.02 ฿33.50

87.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 A$1.79

$0.49 ฿16.00

161.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.19 A$43.67

$4.45 ฿145

600.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.70 A$16.38

$18.88 ฿617

-38.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 A$3.66

$1.78 ฿58.1

46.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 A$7.44

$2.75 ฿90.1

93.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 A$3.36

$1.40 ฿45.81

71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 A$90.1

$11.48 ฿376

460.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 A$3.19

$3.12 ฿102

-26.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 A$2.55

$1.00 ฿32.67

82.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.43 A$58.0

$14.09 ฿461

194.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.59

$1.35 ฿44.19

-16.30%

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

$27.4K A$38.3K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

0.65%

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

$22.7K A$31.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-30.93%

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

$151 A$211

$125 ฿4,087

20.53%

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

$16.47 A$23.06

$13.57 ฿444

21.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 A$72.3

$18.52 ฿606

178.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.30 A$69.0

$61.5 ฿2,010

-19.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.86 A$18.00

$16.84 ฿551

-23.63%

Cinema Ticket

$13.19 A$18.47

$9.19 ฿300

43.53%

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

$1,760 A$2,464

$698 ฿22.8K

152.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K A$18.4K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-15.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 A$71.4

$57.8 ฿1,889

-11.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 A$77.6

$35.24 ฿1,152

57.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 A$135

$113 ฿3,699

-14.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 A$162

$86.4 ฿2,825

34.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$851 A$1,191

$616 ฿20.1K

38.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 A$1,034

$446 ฿14.6K

65.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 A$2,148

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-25.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 A$1,821

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-12.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,580 A$7,812

$3,779 ฿123.6K

47.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,324 A$6,054

$2,649 ฿86.6K

63.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,850 A$6,790

$524 ฿17.1K

825.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.29

5.33

18.01%

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

Last update for Orange, NSW: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $851 in Orange, NSW and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Orange, NSW pays 826% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Orange, NSW vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $292 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

Orange, NSW vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Orange, NSW and Phuket differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,775 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Orange, NSW pays 826% more on average, 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: $851 in Orange, NSW versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,760 in Orange, NSW versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Orange, NSW. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,775 in Orange, NSW, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Orange, NSW. 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, Orange, NSW 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 44% less than in Orange, NSW. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.