Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,044 in Cambridge, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
Learn more

Cambridge Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Cambridge

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,044

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cambridge 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 Cambridge and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,044 in Cambridge versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Cambridge $2,044
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,830 in Cambridge versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Cambridge $2,830
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,617 in Cambridge versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Cambridge $3,617
Phuket $2,867

Living in Cambridge is roughly 69% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cambridge is 51% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 NZ$24.32

$4.58 ฿153

200.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 NZ$121

$32.48 ฿1,086

110.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 NZ$15.45

$8.55 ฿286

2.22%

Cappuccino

$3.45 NZ$6.10

$2.72 ฿91.0

26.84%

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

$1.93 NZ$3.41

$0.94 ฿31.25

105.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 NZ$3.52

$0.49 ฿16.39

306.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 NZ$10.75

$2.59 ฿86.6

134.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 NZ$11.73

$3.83 ฿128

73.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 NZ$2.67

$1.74 ฿58.1

-13.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$1.43 ฿47.82

55.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.34

$1.53 ฿51.0

23.53%

Eggs

$5.95 NZ$10.53

$2.17 ฿72.7

174.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.33 NZ$14.73

$19.15 ฿640

-56.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 NZ$16.68

$3.30 ฿110

185.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 NZ$23.01

$11.14 ฿372

16.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 NZ$4.50

$2.95 ฿98.5

-13.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 NZ$4.04

$1.68 ฿56.1

35.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.34

$2.30 ฿76.8

31.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 NZ$9.99

$2.13 ฿71.3

165.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.73

$1.53 ฿51.1

37.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 NZ$2.76

$1.36 ฿45.55

14.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 NZ$4.02

$1.12 ฿37.44

102.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NZ$1.92

$0.55 ฿18.24

96.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.11 NZ$44.41

$4.26 ฿142

489.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.40 NZ$18.39

$18.19 ฿608

-42.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NZ$6.08

$1.74 ฿58.2

97.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 NZ$6.79

$2.79 ฿93.3

37.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 NZ$4.81

$2.22 ฿74.1

22.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 NZ$3.85

$2.91 ฿97.3

-25.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 NZ$3.43

$1.01 ฿33.79

92.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.37 NZ$55.5

$3.83 ฿128

719.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$3.00

$1.49 ฿49.85

14.09%

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

$25.1K NZ$44.4K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-5.82%

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

$22.1K NZ$39.1K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-17.21%

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

$99.4 NZ$176

$99.4 ฿3,321

0.02%

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

$26.44 NZ$46.77

$11.28 ฿377

134.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 NZ$89.8

$17.36 ฿580

192.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 NZ$23.90

$7.57 ฿253

78.47%

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

$673 NZ$1,190

$558 ฿18.7K

20.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K NZ$34.1K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

68.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 NZ$110

$62.9 ฿2,102

-1.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 NZ$66.1

$28.58 ฿955

30.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 NZ$165

$96.1 ฿3,213

-3.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 NZ$186

$88.1 ฿2,943

19.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 NZ$1,033

$729 ฿24.4K

-19.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 NZ$1,985

$460 ฿15.4K

143.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 NZ$2,048

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-44.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 NZ$2,563

$1,222 ฿40.8K

18.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,539 NZ$8,027

$3,459 ฿115.6K

31.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,931 NZ$6,953

$2,489 ฿83.2K

57.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,585 NZ$4,571

$493 ฿16.5K

424.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.72%

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

Last update for Cambridge: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cambridge

$1.1K 54.9%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 59% $662

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge

$324 15.9%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 17.4% $56

Eating Out

Cambridge

$237 11.6%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 48.8% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge

$177 8.6%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 27.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge

$134 6.6%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 7.5% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge

$27 * 1.3%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 150% $40

Getting Around

Cambridge

$23 * 1.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 70.8% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $584 in Cambridge and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 424% 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: $68.0 in Cambridge vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Cambridge

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

04:53 4:53 AM

22:53 10:53 PM

6 h behind Cambridge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,400

79,308

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cambridge Phuket 9,430 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cambridge
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

Cambridge vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 424% higher in Cambridge, 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: $584 in Cambridge versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $673 in Cambridge versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $68.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,044 in Cambridge, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. 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 Cambridge, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cambridge 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 69% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.