Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashburton and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashburton and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,876 per month in Ashburton vs $1,250 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,921 per month in Ashburton vs $2,284 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,965 per month in Ashburton vs $3,317 in Phuket, rent included.

Ashburton costs about 50% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Ashburton sits 40% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.77 NZ$28.72

$4.55 ฿153

268.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 NZ$126

$46.18 ฿1,554

59.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 NZ$16.89

$8.84 ฿298

11.54%

Cappuccino

$3.47 NZ$5.95

$3.06 ฿103

13.40%

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

$2.35 NZ$4.02

$0.73 ฿24.42

221.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 NZ$3.38

$0.40 ฿13.40

395.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 NZ$12.16

$2.43 ฿81.8

192.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.42 NZ$12.70

$3.78 ฿127

96.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.25

$2.26 ฿76.0

-15.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NZ$3.29

$1.81 ฿60.9

6.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 NZ$2.96

$2.25 ฿75.8

-23.11%

Eggs

$6.49 NZ$11.11

$2.25 ฿75.6

188.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 NZ$14.06

$19.51 ฿656

-57.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 NZ$15.62

$3.65 ฿123

149.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.72 NZ$21.77

$13.05 ฿439

-2.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 NZ$5.44

$3.23 ฿109

-1.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.61

$1.62 ฿54.4

30.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 NZ$5.18

$2.38 ฿80.2

27.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 NZ$5.53

$2.03 ฿68.2

59.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$1.53 ฿51.6

35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.84

$1.50 ฿50.5

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.05 NZ$5.22

$0.98 ฿32.93

211.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 NZ$2.40

$0.52 ฿17.40

169.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.39 NZ$41.77

$4.44 ฿149

449.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.51 NZ$14.56

$18.32 ฿616

-53.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.76 NZ$6.44

$1.86 ฿62.7

102.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 NZ$8.19

$2.68 ฿90.2

78.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 NZ$3.51

$1.41 ฿47.49

45.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.4 NZ$112

$11.70 ฿394

458.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 NZ$4.78

$3.11 ฿105

-10.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 NZ$2.90

$1.04 ฿35.08

63.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.00 NZ$51.4

$14.11 ฿475

112.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 NZ$2.94

$1.31 ฿44.13

31.30%

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

$27.6K NZ$47.2K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-0.94%

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

$20.0K NZ$34.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-39.73%

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

$117 NZ$201

$122 ฿4,120

-4.19%

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

$31.27 NZ$53.5

$13.59 ฿457

130.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 NZ$92.7

$18.70 ฿629

189.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.42 NZ$62.4

$60.5 ฿2,035

-39.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 NZ$20.91

$16.98 ฿572

-28.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.90 NZ$18.67

$9.07 ฿305

20.18%

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

$639 NZ$1,094

$706 ฿23.8K

-9.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,344 NZ$16.0K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-40.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.19 NZ$51.7

$58.6 ฿1,970

-48.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.44 NZ$72.7

$35.36 ฿1,190

20.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 NZ$158

$115 ฿3,885

-19.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NZ$259

$83.7 ฿2,818

81.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 NZ$1,670

$626 ฿21.1K

55.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 NZ$1,331

$445 ฿15.0K

74.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 NZ$2,734

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-21.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 NZ$2,417

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-5.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,139 NZ$7,088

$3,483 ฿117.2K

18.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,773 NZ$6,461

$2,577 ฿86.7K

46.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

5.33

26.45%

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

Last update for Ashburton: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $976 in Ashburton versus $626 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Ashburton versus $46.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $289 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Ashburton vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,876 in Ashburton, $1,250 in Phuket – roughly 50% apart. Ashburton costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,814 per month in Ashburton and $1,875 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Ashburton, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Ashburton and $46.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Ashburton at $1,876. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ashburton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,250 in Phuket to $1,876 in Ashburton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ashburton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.