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: $1,813 in Cromwell versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,837 in Cromwell versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,862 in Cromwell versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Cromwell is roughly 44% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cromwell is 35% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.12 NZ$20.70

$4.56 ฿149

165.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 NZ$121

$46.63 ฿1,519

52.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 NZ$18.16

$8.47 ฿276

25.62%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NZ$5.97

$3.03 ฿98.6

15.51%

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

$2.23 NZ$3.80

$0.69 ฿22.45

223.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 NZ$3.44

$0.37 ฿11.92

443.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 NZ$12.11

$2.49 ฿81.0

184.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 NZ$10.22

$3.66 ฿119

63.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 NZ$3.55

$2.18 ฿71.0

-4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NZ$3.29

$1.90 ฿62.0

1.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.24

$2.20 ฿71.6

-14.09%

Eggs

$5.71 NZ$9.75

$2.22 ฿72.4

157.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.41 NZ$14.36

$19.99 ฿651

-57.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 NZ$17.97

$3.66 ฿119

187.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 NZ$22.37

$13.25 ฿432

-1.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 NZ$5.11

$3.23 ฿105

-7.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.84

$1.70 ฿55.3

32.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 NZ$5.71

$2.39 ฿78.0

39.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 NZ$7.94

$2.08 ฿67.7

123.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.38

$1.59 ฿51.8

24.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.52

$1.48 ฿48.31

39.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NZ$4.40

$1.03 ฿33.54

150.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.89

$0.52 ฿16.83

113.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.54 NZ$41.91

$4.25 ฿138

477.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.80 NZ$15.02

$18.79 ฿612

-53.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 NZ$4.41

$1.76 ฿57.2

46.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 NZ$6.16

$2.76 ฿89.8

30.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 NZ$3.51

$1.36 ฿44.32

51.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 NZ$110

$11.36 ฿370

467.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NZ$4.71

$3.14 ฿102

-12.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 NZ$1.96

$1.04 ฿33.74

10.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.74 NZ$50.8

$13.77 ฿448

115.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.92

$1.34 ฿43.79

27.61%

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

$19.9K NZ$34.1K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-27.95%

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

$25.6K NZ$43.7K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-24.36%

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

$102 NZ$174

$124 ฿4,025

-17.40%

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

$36.51 NZ$62.3

$13.52 ฿440

170.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 NZ$93.4

$18.69 ฿609

192.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.27 NZ$63.7

$61.8 ฿2,013

-39.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.19 NZ$20.81

$17.25 ฿562

-29.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.17 NZ$15.66

$9.14 ฿298

0.33%

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

$594 NZ$1,014

$703 ฿22.9K

-15.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K NZ$23.0K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-15.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 NZ$115

$59.5 ฿1,937

12.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.86 NZ$61.2

$35.07 ฿1,142

2.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 NZ$160

$115 ฿3,754

-18.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 NZ$205

$84.1 ฿2,737

43.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 NZ$1,661

$619 ฿20.1K

57.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 NZ$1,320

$433 ฿14.1K

78.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NZ$2,724

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-22.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 NZ$2,382

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-7.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,372 NZ$7,466

$3,646 ฿118.7K

19.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,370 NZ$5,755

$2,626 ฿85.5K

28.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,036 NZ$5,183

$507 ฿16.5K

498.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

5.33

23.83%

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

Last update for Cromwell: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Cromwell and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cromwell pays 499% 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: $71.0 in Cromwell vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $293 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cromwell pays 499% more on average, 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: $973 in Cromwell versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% 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 $47.00 versus $71.0 in Cromwell. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,813 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 44% less than in Cromwell. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.