Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Northam

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,572 in Northam, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Northam
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Northam Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Northam

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,572

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Northam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Northam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,572 in Northam.

Phuket $1,294
Northam $2,572

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $3,691 in Northam.

Phuket $2,204
Northam $3,691

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $4,809 in Northam.

Phuket $3,115
Northam $4,809

Living in Phuket costs roughly 50% less than in Northam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Northam is 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$20.68 A$29.84

-78.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,080

$84.9 A$122

-61.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿291

$10.94 A$15.78

-20.48%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.1

$4.48 A$6.46

-39.29%

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

$0.93 ฿31.11

$2.90 A$4.18

-67.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.70

$2.20 A$3.17

-77.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.6

$8.45 A$12.18

-70.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.16 A$11.77

-55.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.76 A$2.55

-1.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$2.60 A$3.75

-44.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$1.98 A$2.85

-24.24%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.6

$4.69 A$6.76

-53.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿638

$6.47 A$9.33

195.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$9.09 A$13.12

-62.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$14.20 A$20.48

-23.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.3

$2.76 A$3.99

6.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$3.21 A$4.64

-47.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.4

$3.50 A$5.05

-37.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.0

$4.92 A$7.10

-56.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.77

$2.93 A$4.23

-50.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.74

$1.91 A$2.75

-28.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.98

$2.31 A$3.33

-53.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.68 A$0.98

-19.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$42.81 A$61.8

-89.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿610

$3.44 A$4.97

430.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.3

$4.37 A$6.31

-59.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.3

$3.34 A$4.82

-13.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.40

$2.78 A$4.01

-47.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,835

$85.4 A$123

-35.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$3.56 A$5.13

-57.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.94

$1.45 A$2.10

-46.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$41.13 A$59.3

-90.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.74

$1.40 A$2.02

6.43%

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

$26.9K ฿898.9K

$30.3K A$43.7K

-11.31%

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

$26.3K ฿881.0K

$27.3K A$39.4K

-3.64%

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

$97.8 ฿3,271

$209 A$302

-53.22%

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

$11.29 ฿378

$24.31 A$35.07

-53.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿575

$65.0 A$93.7

-73.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,285

$55.0 A$79.3

24.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

$17.47 A$25.21

-37.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$17.29 A$24.95

-57.03%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

$2,334 A$3,367

-77.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿628.1K

$23.4K A$33.7K

-19.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,062

$76.5 A$110

-19.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿945

$62.3 A$89.8

-54.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,210

$123 A$178

-22.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,903

$163 A$235

-46.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$1,401 A$2,020

-48.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$1,240 A$1,788

-58.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.2K

$2,249 A$3,244

-13.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.7K

$1,820 A$2,625

-23.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.2K

$5,898 A$8,508

-28.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.3K

$4,898 A$7,066

-32.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.96

-6.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Northam: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Northam

$1.2K 48.2% 144% $731

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Northam

$315 12.3% 18% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Northam

$298 11.6% 136% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Northam

$191 7.4% 55.7% $68

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Northam

$331 12.9% 177% $211

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Northam

$90 3.5% 7.7% $6.4

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Northam

$107 4.2% 62.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,401 in Northam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $85 in Northam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $315 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇺 Northam

🕒 Local time

14:42 2:42 PM

15:42 3:42 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

6,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 AUD = 0.693 USD

1 AUD = 0.617 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.693 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.617 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Northam 4,810 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Northam

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Phuket vs Northam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 50% 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 $1,940 in Phuket and $3,858 in Northam 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: $721 in Phuket versus $1,401 in Northam. 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 $32 versus $85 in Northam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,294 per month in Phuket versus $2,572 in Northam – Phuket is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,572 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 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, Phuket and Northam are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Northam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.