Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cromwell and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,011 in Cromwell, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Cromwell
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Cromwell Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Cromwell

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,011

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,011 in Cromwell versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Cromwell $2,011
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,881 in Cromwell versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Cromwell $2,881
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,751 in Cromwell versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Cromwell $3,751
Phuket $3,154

Living in Cromwell is roughly 57% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cromwell is 48% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 NZ$25.61

$4.47 ฿151

222.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 NZ$111

$32.41 ฿1,093

92.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 NZ$20.43

$8.81 ฿297

30.65%

Cappuccino

$3.26 NZ$5.79

$2.83 ฿95.4

15.19%

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

$2.15 NZ$3.81

$0.87 ฿29.41

147.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 NZ$3.65

$0.49 ฿16.65

318.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 NZ$11.86

$2.56 ฿86.3

160.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 NZ$11.16

$3.68 ฿124

70.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NZ$3.75

$1.66 ฿55.9

27.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 NZ$3.45

$1.46 ฿49.31

32.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 NZ$3.01

$1.50 ฿50.5

12.67%

Eggs

$5.81 NZ$10.31

$2.09 ฿70.5

177.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 NZ$15.36

$19.07 ฿643

-54.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 NZ$16.64

$3.30 ฿111

183.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 NZ$29.48

$10.91 ฿368

52.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.45

$2.93 ฿98.9

4.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 NZ$4.12

$1.69 ฿57.0

37.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 NZ$5.64

$2.25 ฿75.8

41.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.02 NZ$8.91

$2.08 ฿70.0

141.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.29

$1.51 ฿51.0

22.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.21

$1.38 ฿46.52

31.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 NZ$4.05

$1.07 ฿35.96

113.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 NZ$1.06

$0.52 ฿17.51

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.12 NZ$37.50

$4.20 ฿142

402.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 NZ$15.87

$18.79 ฿634

-52.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.15 NZ$5.59

$1.82 ฿61.5

73.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 NZ$2.15

$2.84 ฿95.8

-57.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.88 NZ$3.33

$1.45 ฿48.98

29.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 NZ$166

$56.7 ฿1,912

64.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 NZ$3.94

$3.02 ฿102

-26.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 NZ$3.71

$1.02 ฿34.33

104.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.85 NZ$51.2

$3.69 ฿125

681.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.25

$1.47 ฿49.76

24.49%

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

$28.2K NZ$50.0K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

5.21%

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

$22.8K NZ$40.5K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-14.58%

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

$110 NZ$195

$96.4 ฿3,251

14.25%

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

$28.58 NZ$50.7

$11.26 ฿380

153.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 NZ$93.9

$16.85 ฿568

213.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.41 NZ$70.0

$67.2 ฿2,268

-41.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.00 NZ$12.43

$10.73 ฿362

-34.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.35 NZ$14.82

$7.50 ฿253

11.33%

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

$796 NZ$1,413

$476 ฿16.1K

67.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K NZ$22.1K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

10.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 NZ$106

$62.4 ฿2,104

-4.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.97 NZ$63.9

$28.41 ฿958

26.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 NZ$161

$94.3 ฿3,181

-3.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NZ$237

$85.8 ฿2,895

55.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 NZ$1,798

$716 ฿24.2K

41.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 NZ$1,655

$491 ฿16.6K

89.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 NZ$2,908

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-14.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 NZ$2,293

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-9.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,771 NZ$8,470

$4,175 ฿140.9K

14.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,354 NZ$5,955

$3,045 ฿102.7K

10.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,034 NZ$5,387

$502 ฿16.9K

504.09%

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: 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

Cromwell

$932 46.4%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 47.3% $441

Groceries & Markets

Cromwell

$322 16%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 17.3% $56

Eating Out

Cromwell

$252 12.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 51.7% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cromwell

$192 9.5%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 35% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Cromwell

$144 7.2%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 15.4% $22

Getting Around

Cromwell

$113 5.6%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 37.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Cromwell

$56 2.8%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 46.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,013 in Cromwell and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cromwell pays about 6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $63 in Cromwell vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Cromwell

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

11:38 11:38 AM

05:38 5:38 AM

6 h behind Cromwell

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

79,308

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cromwell Phuket 9,160 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cromwell
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

Cromwell vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 36% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Cromwell is about 6 times higher, 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: $1,013 in Cromwell versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% 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 versus $63 in Cromwell. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,011 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cromwell and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Cromwell. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.