Cost of Living Comparison Between Yamba NSW and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Yamba NSW and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,152 in Yamba NSW versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,094 in Yamba NSW versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,035 in Yamba NSW versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Yamba NSW is roughly 72% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yamba NSW is 61% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.28 A$23.25

$4.55 ฿153

257.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 A$71.6

$46.18 ฿1,553

8.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.78 A$13.97

$8.84 ฿297

10.63%

Cappuccino

$3.63 A$5.19

$3.06 ฿103

18.63%

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

$2.57 A$3.67

$0.73 ฿24.40

252.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 A$2.78

$0.40 ฿13.39

385.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 A$9.19

$2.43 ฿81.8

164.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 A$9.90

$3.78 ฿127

83.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.22

$2.26 ฿76.0

-31.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 A$3.13

$1.81 ฿60.9

20.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 A$2.67

$2.25 ฿75.8

-16.89%

Eggs

$4.50 A$6.42

$2.25 ฿75.5

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 A$11.74

$19.51 ฿656

-57.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 A$11.76

$3.65 ฿123

125.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.29 A$18.98

$13.05 ฿439

1.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.59

$3.23 ฿109

-0.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.06

$1.62 ฿54.4

75.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.76

$2.38 ฿80.1

10.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 A$6.20

$2.03 ฿68.1

113.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.51

$1.53 ฿51.6

60.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.28

$1.50 ฿50.5

53.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 A$3.07

$0.98 ฿32.91

119.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 A$1.77

$0.52 ฿17.39

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.11 A$45.85

$4.44 ฿149

623.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.49 A$17.84

$18.32 ฿616

-31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.49

$1.86 ฿62.7

144.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 A$6.01

$2.68 ฿90.1

57.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 A$3.79

$1.41 ฿47.46

87.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 A$91.5

$11.70 ฿393

447.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 A$3.34

$3.11 ฿105

-24.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 A$2.24

$1.04 ฿35.06

50.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.89 A$46.97

$14.11 ฿474

133.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 A$1.71

$1.31 ฿44.10

-8.40%

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

$28.3K A$40.5K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

1.85%

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

$22.2K A$31.7K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-33.19%

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

$144 A$206

$122 ฿4,118

17.64%

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

$25.29 A$36.12

$13.59 ฿457

86.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 A$75.5

$18.70 ฿629

182.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.08 A$70.1

$60.5 ฿2,034

-18.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.63 A$22.32

$16.98 ฿571

-7.95%

Cinema Ticket

$13.10 A$18.71

$9.07 ฿305

44.43%

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

$1,650 A$2,356

$706 ฿23.8K

133.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,763 A$12.5K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-44.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 A$103

$58.6 ฿1,969

23.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.51 A$62.1

$35.36 ฿1,189

23.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 A$131

$115 ฿3,883

-20.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 A$146

$83.7 ฿2,816

22.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 A$1,772

$626 ฿21.0K

98.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 A$1,535

$445 ฿15.0K

141.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 A$2,875

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-1.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 A$2,435

$1,492 ฿50.2K

14.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,820 A$8,311

$3,483 ฿117.1K

67.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,943 A$8,487

$2,577 ฿86.7K

130.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

5.33

17.07%

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

Last update for Yamba NSW: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,241 in Yamba NSW and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Yamba NSW vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $289 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

Yamba NSW vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,228 in Yamba NSW and $1,875 in Phuket 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: $1,241 in Yamba NSW versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,650 in Yamba NSW versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Yamba NSW. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,152 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.

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

Safety-wise, Yamba 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 72% less than in Yamba NSW. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.