Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yamba NSW

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,331 in Yamba NSW, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Yamba NSW
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Yamba NSW Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Yamba NSW

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,331

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Yamba NSW

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 Yamba NSW actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,331 in Yamba NSW.

Phuket $1,278
Yamba NSW $2,331

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,399 in Yamba NSW.

Phuket $2,216
Yamba NSW $3,399

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,466 in Yamba NSW.

Phuket $3,154
Yamba NSW $4,466

Living in Phuket costs roughly 45% less than in Yamba NSW, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Yamba NSW is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$17.85 A$25.28

-74.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$50.9 A$72.0

-36.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.11 A$15.73

-20.70%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$4.52 A$6.40

-37.39%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$2.44 A$3.46

-64.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$2.05 A$2.90

-76.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$7.90 A$11.19

-67.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.96 A$9.86

-47.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.62 A$2.30

2.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$2.68 A$3.79

-45.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$2.25 A$3.19

-33.33%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$4.90 A$6.94

-57.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$9.25 A$13.10

106.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$9.10 A$12.89

-63.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$14.23 A$20.16

-23.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$4.34 A$6.14

-32.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$3.17 A$4.50

-46.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$3.02 A$4.28

-25.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.82 A$6.82

-56.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$2.87 A$4.06

-47.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$2.34 A$3.32

-41.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$2.33 A$3.30

-54.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$1.24 A$1.75

-58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$38.44 A$54.5

-89.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$12.66 A$17.93

48.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$5.30 A$7.50

-65.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$4.92 A$6.97

-42.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$2.74 A$3.88

-47.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$73.1 A$104

-22.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.09 A$4.38

-2.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.87 A$2.65

-45.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$41.70 A$59.1

-91.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.41 A$1.99

4.26%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$29.8K A$42.2K

-10.17%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$25.5K A$36.1K

4.60%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$162 A$230

-40.70%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$26.59 A$37.67

-57.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$60.3 A$85.4

-72.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$58.0 A$82.2

15.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$19.49 A$27.61

-44.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$14.27 A$20.21

-47.44%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$1,974 A$2,796

-75.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$12.8K A$18.2K

-12.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$84.8 A$120

-26.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$44.72 A$63.4

-36.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$111 A$158

-15.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$110 A$156

-22.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,424 A$2,017

-49.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$1,076 A$1,524

-54.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$2,037 A$2,886

-5.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$1,765 A$2,500

-18.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$5,125 A$7,260

-18.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$5,432 A$7,695

-43.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.81

-4.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Yamba NSW: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Yamba NSW

$1.1K 46.2% 119% $585

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Yamba NSW

$363 15.6% 36.5% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Yamba NSW

$249 10.7% 100% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Yamba NSW

$158 6.8% 29.5% $36

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Yamba NSW

$302 12.9% 148% $180

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Yamba NSW

$87 3.7% 5.3% $4.3

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Yamba NSW

$97 4.1% 36.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,424 in Yamba NSW. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $51 in Yamba NSW for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $363 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇺 Yamba NSW

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

21:04 9:04 PM

4 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

6,913

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.706 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.633 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Yamba NSW 7,190 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Yamba NSW

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 Yamba NSW: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 45% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $3,497 in Yamba NSW 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: $716 in Phuket versus $1,424 in Yamba NSW. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $1,974 in Yamba NSW. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Yamba NSW. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,331 in Yamba NSW, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Yamba 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, Phuket and Yamba NSW 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 45% less than in Yamba NSW. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.