Cost of Living Comparison Between Cromwell and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cromwell and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,904 in Cromwell versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,826 in Cromwell versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,748 in Cromwell versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Cromwell is roughly 55% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cromwell is 39% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.63 NZ$25.44

$4.41 ฿147

231.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 NZ$111

$32.26 ฿1,073

98.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 NZ$19.91

$8.93 ฿297

28.22%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NZ$5.99

$2.90 ฿96.3

18.62%

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

$2.13 NZ$3.70

$0.88 ฿29.29

142.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 NZ$3.66

$0.48 ฿16.01

337.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 NZ$12.38

$2.35 ฿78.2

202.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 NZ$10.76

$3.72 ฿124

66.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 NZ$3.87

$1.87 ฿62.1

19.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NZ$3.45

$1.47 ฿48.78

34.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 NZ$3.01

$1.55 ฿51.6

11.61%

Eggs

$5.87 NZ$10.21

$2.10 ฿69.9

179.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 NZ$14.59

$19.59 ฿652

-57.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 NZ$16.40

$3.42 ฿114

175.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.69 NZ$29.02

$11.38 ฿379

46.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 NZ$5.40

$2.98 ฿99.3

4.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 NZ$4.09

$1.68 ฿56.1

39.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 NZ$5.74

$2.21 ฿73.5

49.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.30 NZ$9.21

$2.16 ฿71.9

145.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 NZ$3.37

$1.52 ฿50.7

27.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.16

$1.34 ฿44.52

35.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 NZ$4.07

$1.13 ฿37.55

107.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 NZ$1.07

$0.55 ฿18.18

12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.54 NZ$37.44

$4.26 ฿142

405.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 NZ$15.60

$19.09 ฿635

-53.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 NZ$5.58

$1.78 ฿59.2

80.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 NZ$2.23

$2.78 ฿92.6

-53.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 NZ$3.46

$2.23 ฿74.2

-10.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 NZ$141

$22.74 ฿756

255.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 NZ$4.04

$3.03 ฿101

-23.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 NZ$2.82

$1.02 ฿34.04

58.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.30 NZ$49.21

$3.89 ฿129

627.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 NZ$3.04

$1.49 ฿49.60

17.45%

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

$26.5K NZ$46.0K

$26.6K ฿884.4K

-0.38%

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

$25.8K NZ$44.8K

$27.0K ฿899.3K

-4.69%

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

$113 NZ$196

$102 ฿3,409

10.06%

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

$29.78 NZ$51.8

$11.33 ฿377

162.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 NZ$92.5

$17.40 ฿579

205.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.40 NZ$70.2

$52.1 ฿1,733

-22.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.73 NZ$11.71

$11.07 ฿368

-39.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 NZ$15.45

$7.69 ฿256

15.60%

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

$828 NZ$1,439

$561 ฿18.7K

47.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K NZ$21.7K

$11.5K ฿382.8K

8.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 NZ$103

$63.0 ฿2,097

-5.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 NZ$61.6

$29.52 ฿982

20.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 NZ$165

$98.0 ฿3,261

-3.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 NZ$244

$88.5 ฿2,944

58.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 NZ$1,620

$738 ฿24.6K

26.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$865 NZ$1,504

$482 ฿16.0K

79.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,686 NZ$2,930

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-19.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 NZ$2,349

$1,226 ฿40.8K

10.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,999 NZ$8,691

$3,617 ฿120.3K

38.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,434 NZ$5,970

$2,603 ฿86.6K

31.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,087 NZ$5,368

$494 ฿16.4K

525.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

5.57

18.49%

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

Last update for Cromwell: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $932 in Cromwell and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cromwell pays 525% 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: $64.0 in Cromwell vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $274 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

Cromwell 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 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 525% higher in Cromwell, 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: $932 in Cromwell versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Cromwell. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $64.0 in Cromwell. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,904 in Cromwell, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cromwell. 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 Cromwell, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cromwell 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 55% less than in Cromwell. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.