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: $2,578 in Yamba NSW versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,632 in Yamba NSW versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,686 in Yamba NSW versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Yamba NSW is roughly 104% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yamba NSW is 87% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 A$25.28

$4.66 ฿154

289.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.6 A$70.5

$32.22 ฿1,065

57.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 A$16.09

$8.68 ฿287

32.95%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.18

$2.90 ฿95.8

52.76%

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

$2.43 A$3.39

$0.84 ฿27.89

189.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 A$2.83

$0.49 ฿16.16

314.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 A$10.91

$2.48 ฿82.0

215.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 A$9.58

$3.73 ฿123

84.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.38

$1.89 ฿62.3

-9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 A$3.81

$1.41 ฿46.54

93.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.34

$1.62 ฿53.6

48.15%

Eggs

$4.92 A$6.87

$2.24 ฿74.1

119.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 A$13.38

$19.84 ฿656

-51.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.16

$3.48 ฿115

171.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 A$19.81

$11.37 ฿376

24.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.84

$2.90 ฿95.8

44.48%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.33

$1.72 ฿57.0

80.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.00

$2.27 ฿75.1

26.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 A$6.95

$2.13 ฿70.4

134.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 A$3.87

$1.47 ฿48.72

89.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.28

$1.42 ฿46.92

65.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 A$3.50

$1.10 ฿36.25

128.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.69

$0.60 ฿19.76

101.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$40.18 A$56.0

$4.31 ฿142

832.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 A$17.81

$18.60 ฿615

-31.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.38 A$7.50

$1.80 ฿59.5

198.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 A$7.17

$2.97 ฿98.0

73.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 A$4.45

$2.25 ฿74.2

41.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 A$121

$23.49 ฿776

270.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 A$4.41

$3.10 ฿102

1.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 A$2.57

$1.08 ฿35.56

71.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.72 A$59.6

$3.87 ฿128

1003.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 A$1.92

$1.43 ฿47.16

-3.50%

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

$27.7K A$38.6K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-0.44%

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

$28.6K A$39.9K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

6.03%

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

$169 A$236

$105 ฿3,462

61.20%

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

$27.48 A$38.31

$11.39 ฿376

141.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 A$89.2

$17.54 ฿580

264.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.5 A$81.6

$54.3 ฿1,795

7.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 A$25.95

$11.44 ฿378

62.67%

Cinema Ticket

$16.50 A$23.01

$7.78 ฿257

112.08%

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

$2,167 A$3,022

$576 ฿19.0K

275.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K A$18.3K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

13.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.2 A$119

$63.6 ฿2,103

33.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.65 A$60.9

$29.10 ฿961

50.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 A$159

$96.2 ฿3,179

18.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 A$157

$90.0 ฿2,974

25.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 A$2,069

$733 ฿24.2K

102.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 A$1,765

$501 ฿16.5K

152.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,293 A$3,197

$2,126 ฿70.2K

7.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 A$2,643

$1,252 ฿41.4K

51.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,625 A$9,236

$3,534 ฿116.8K

87.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,117 A$7,135

$2,622 ฿86.6K

95.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

5.57

5.03%

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

Last update for Yamba NSW: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,484 in Yamba NSW and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Yamba NSW vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $275 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,866 in Yamba NSW and $1,898 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: $1,484 in Yamba NSW versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,167 in Yamba NSW versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Yamba NSW. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,578 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 104% less than in Yamba NSW. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.