Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sydney, NS

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,614 in Sydney, NS, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
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Sydney, NS Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sydney, NS

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 Sydney, NS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,614 in Sydney, NS.

Phuket $1,208
Sydney, NS $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $2,535 in Sydney, NS.

Phuket $2,027
Sydney, NS $2,535

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $3,456 in Sydney, NS.

Phuket $2,845
Sydney, NS $3,456

Living in Phuket costs roughly 25% less than in Sydney, NS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Sydney, NS is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$11.13 CA$15.74

-60.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$62.3 CA$88.0

-48.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.16 CA$10.12

22.35%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.87 CA$4.06

-1.39%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$2.33 CA$3.30

-61.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$2.07 CA$2.92

-77.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$2.15 CA$3.04

-19.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$2.56 CA$3.61

-42.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$2.41 CA$3.41

-37.34%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.32 CA$4.69

-34.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$6.27 CA$8.87

214.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$8.23 CA$11.63

-59.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$12.99 CA$18.36

-14.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$7.01 CA$9.91

-59.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.16 CA$1.63

46.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.38 CA$1.95

48.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.84 CA$1.18

72.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.90 CA$2.68

-27.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$6.30 CA$8.90

-83.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$17.78 CA$25.14

-76.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$4.18 CA$5.92

-31.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.08 CA$1.53

109.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$48.48 CA$68.5

-54.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$4.15 CA$5.87

-27.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.20 CA$1.70

20.83%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$25.7K CA$36.4K

2.26%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$19.1K CA$27.1K

40.70%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$86.3 CA$122

11.69%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$36.04 CA$51.0

-69.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$73.3 CA$104

-76.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$49.94 CA$70.6

4.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$3.45 CA$4.88

223.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$7.04 CA$9.96

10.94%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$721 CA$1,020

-22.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$68.1 CA$96.3

-5.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$67.2 CA$95.1

-57.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$99.7 CA$141

-4.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$105 CA$148

-16.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$893 CA$1,262

-17.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$724 CA$1,024

-36.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$1,753 CA$2,479

19.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$1,374 CA$1,943

-12.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$2,527 CA$3,573

-80.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.8

-3.97%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sydney, NS: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Sydney, NS

$724 44.9% 56.6% $262

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Sydney, NS

$258 * 16% 4.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Sydney, NS

$196 12.1% 57.1% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Sydney, NS

$153 9.5% 23.1% $29

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Sydney, NS

$163 * 10.1% 34.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Sydney, NS

$64 4% 5.5% $3.8

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Sydney, NS

$57 * 3.5% 44.4% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $893 in Sydney, NS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney, NS pays 405% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $62.0 in Sydney, NS. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $258, with Sydney, NS cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🕒 Local time

11:57 11:57 AM

01:57 1:57 AM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

30,960

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Sydney, NS 13,640 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sydney, NS

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 Sydney, NS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and transport. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 405% lower in Sydney, NS. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $893 in Sydney, NS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $721 in Sydney, NS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sydney, NS pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,614 in Sydney, NS, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sydney, NS. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sydney, NS, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sydney, NS 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 34% less than in Sydney, NS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.