Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Avarua and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,638 in Avarua, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Avarua outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Avarua

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,638

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Avarua and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Avarua and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Avarua vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Avarua $1,638
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,652 per month in Avarua vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Avarua $1,652
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $1,666 per month in Avarua vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Avarua $1,666
Phuket $3,154

Avarua costs about 28% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Avarua sits 20% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.47 NZ$20.45

$4.47 ฿151

156.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 NZ$103

$32.41 ฿1,094

77.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 NZ$15.09

$8.81 ฿297

-3.86%

Cappuccino

$3.16 NZ$5.64

$2.83 ฿95.5

11.66%

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

$2.24 NZ$3.99

$0.87 ฿29.43

157.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 NZ$4.10

$0.49 ฿16.67

369.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.61 NZ$10.00

$2.56 ฿86.4

119.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 NZ$7.48

$3.68 ฿124

14.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.96

$1.66 ฿56.0

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 NZ$5.93

$1.46 ฿49.35

128.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 NZ$2.99

$1.50 ฿50.6

12.00%

Eggs

$4.76 NZ$8.49

$2.09 ฿70.5

127.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 NZ$20.64

$19.07 ฿644

-39.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.88 NZ$14.05

$3.30 ฿111

138.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 NZ$18.52

$10.91 ฿368

-4.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 NZ$5.01

$2.93 ฿99.0

-4.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 NZ$3.00

$1.69 ฿57.1

-0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 NZ$6.24

$2.25 ฿75.8

55.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.14 NZ$16.28

$2.08 ฿70.1

339.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 NZ$5.02

$1.51 ฿51.0

86.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.93

$1.38 ฿46.56

60.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 NZ$3.98

$1.07 ฿35.99

108.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 NZ$5.19

$0.52 ฿17.52

459.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$14.24 NZ$25.38

$18.79 ฿634

-24.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 NZ$7.45

$2.84 ฿95.9

47.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 NZ$5.03

$1.45 ฿49.03

94.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 NZ$3.90

$1.47 ฿49.81

48.98%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

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

$112 NZ$199

$96.4 ฿3,254

16.11%

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$968 NZ$1,725

$716 ฿24.2K

35.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 NZ$1,687

$491 ฿16.6K

92.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$115 NZ$205

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-94.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$944 NZ$1,683

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-68.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Avarua: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Avarua

–

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Groceries & Markets

Avarua

–

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Avarua

–

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Avarua

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Eating Out

Avarua

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Avarua

–

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Getting Around

Avarua

–

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $968 in Avarua versus $716 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 $58 in Avarua versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇰 Avarua

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

21:24 9:24 PM

17 h ahead of Avarua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Avarua Phuket 11,550 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Avarua
Phuket

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

Avarua vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Avarua costs about 28% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,457 per month in Avarua and $1,917 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $968 in Avarua.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,638 in Avarua and $1,278 in Phuket. That’s a gap of about 28%.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Avarua, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Avarua at $1,638. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Avarua 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 $1,278 in Phuket to $1,638 in Avarua. 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.