Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney, NS and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney, NS and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,880 in Sydney, NS versus $1,247 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,831 in Sydney, NS versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,782 in Sydney, NS versus $3,306 in Phuket.

Living in Sydney, NS is roughly 51% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sydney, NS is 40% above, Phuket is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.69 CA$16.02

$4.59 ฿147

154.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 CA$83.8

$46.83 ฿1,501

30.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 CA$9.67

$8.70 ฿279

-18.85%

Cappuccino

$3.00 CA$4.12

$2.92 ฿93.7

2.74%

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

$2.20 CA$3.01

$0.68 ฿21.92

223.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 CA$2.71

$0.40 ฿12.70

395.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 CA$7.64

$2.51 ฿80.4

121.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 CA$7.87

$3.80 ฿122

51.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CA$3.09

$2.16 ฿69.3

4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 CA$3.55

$1.88 ฿60.3

37.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.48

$2.16 ฿69.2

17.59%

Eggs

$3.54 CA$4.85

$2.22 ฿71.2

59.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.57 CA$9.01

$19.57 ฿627

-66.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.72 CA$11.95

$3.80 ฿122

129.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.88 CA$19.02

$13.41 ฿430

3.50%

Apples (1kg)

$7.33 CA$10.05

$3.26 ฿104

124.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 CA$1.71

$1.61 ฿51.7

-22.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 CA$4.98

$2.31 ฿74.0

57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 CA$1.96

$2.06 ฿66.0

-30.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 CA$1.16

$1.61 ฿51.5

-47.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 CA$3.45

$1.44 ฿46.26

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.32

$1.03 ฿33.01

135.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.38

$0.48 ฿15.39

262.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.69 CA$25.61

$4.50 ฿144

315.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 CA$16.00

$19.18 ฿615

-39.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 CA$3.91

$1.82 ฿58.4

56.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 CA$5.88

$2.69 ฿86.2

59.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 CA$1.55

$1.38 ฿44.16

-18.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.24 CA$67.5

$11.76 ฿377

318.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 CA$6.21

$3.11 ฿99.6

45.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.95

$1.00 ฿32.18

42.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.31 CA$34.67

$13.74 ฿441

84.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.58

$1.30 ฿41.61

-10.77%

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

$24.9K CA$34.2K

$27.4K ฿877.0K

-8.86%

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

$20.1K CA$27.5K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-39.15%

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

$90.9 CA$124

$125 ฿4,004

-27.24%

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

$48.11 CA$65.9

$13.74 ฿440

250.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.9 CA$105

$18.61 ฿597

313.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 CA$68.9

$60.6 ฿1,941

-16.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.63 CA$4.98

$17.15 ฿550

-78.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.97 CA$10.91

$9.01 ฿289

-11.54%

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

$741 CA$1,015

$698 ฿22.4K

6.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.2K

$16.1K ฿516.5K

-26.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.7 CA$98.2

$59.2 ฿1,898

21.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.1 CA$93.3

$34.86 ฿1,118

95.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 CA$142

$114 ฿3,662

-9.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$149

$85.8 ฿2,751

26.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 CA$1,491

$619 ฿19.8K

75.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 CA$1,111

$437 ฿14.0K

85.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,962 CA$2,687

$2,075 ฿66.5K

-5.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 CA$1,977

$1,509 ฿48.4K

-4.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,060 CA$6,933

$3,764 ฿120.7K

34.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,746 CA$5,132

$2,694 ฿86.4K

39.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,560 CA$3,507

$528 ฿16.9K

384.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

5.33

28.52%

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

Last update for Sydney, NS: April 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,089 in Sydney, NS and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney, NS pays 384% 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: $61 in Sydney, NS vs $47 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 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

Sydney, NS vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sydney, NS pays 384% 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: $1,089 in Sydney, NS versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $741 in Sydney, NS 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 12% higher in Sydney, NS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $1,880 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, Sydney, NS 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 51% less than in Sydney, NS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.