Cost of Living Comparison Between Dargaville and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Dargaville and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,967 in Dargaville versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Dargaville versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,071 in Dargaville versus $2,913 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Dargaville is 43% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.92 NZ$25.52

$4.66 ฿153

220.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 NZ$120

$32.22 ฿1,060

117.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 NZ$15.95

$8.68 ฿286

7.37%

Cappuccino

$3.38 NZ$5.78

$2.90 ฿95.4

16.55%

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

$2.24 NZ$3.84

$0.84 ฿27.78

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 NZ$3.20

$0.49 ฿16.10

281.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 NZ$11.37

$2.48 ฿81.7

167.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 NZ$11.10

$3.73 ฿123

73.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 NZ$3.17

$1.89 ฿62.0

-2.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 NZ$3.43

$1.41 ฿46.36

42.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.12

$1.62 ฿53.4

12.35%

Eggs

$6.04 NZ$10.32

$2.24 ฿73.8

169.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 NZ$14.53

$19.84 ฿653

-57.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.86 NZ$16.87

$3.48 ฿114

183.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 NZ$25.87

$11.37 ฿374

33.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 NZ$4.81

$2.90 ฿95.4

-3.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 NZ$3.98

$1.72 ฿56.8

35.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 NZ$5.42

$2.27 ฿74.8

39.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.63 NZ$9.64

$2.13 ฿70.2

164.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 NZ$3.75

$1.47 ฿48.53

48.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 NZ$2.49

$1.42 ฿46.73

2.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 NZ$3.62

$1.10 ฿36.11

91.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 NZ$1.92

$0.60 ฿19.68

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.64 NZ$42.16

$4.31 ฿142

471.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 NZ$16.30

$18.60 ฿612

-48.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 NZ$5.24

$1.80 ฿59.3

70.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 NZ$5.69

$2.97 ฿97.6

12.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 NZ$3.01

$2.25 ฿73.9

-21.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.5 NZ$150

$23.49 ฿773

272.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 NZ$4.00

$3.10 ฿102

-24.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 NZ$3.34

$1.08 ฿35.42

81.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.34 NZ$55.3

$3.87 ฿127

735.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 NZ$3.06

$1.43 ฿46.97

25.17%

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

$26.2K NZ$44.8K

$27.8K ฿914.4K

-5.75%

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

$24.5K NZ$41.9K

$27.0K ฿888.0K

-9.24%

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

$117 NZ$200

$105 ฿3,449

11.64%

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

$29.82 NZ$51.0

$11.39 ฿375

161.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 NZ$90.6

$17.54 ฿577

202.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.61 NZ$69.5

$54.3 ฿1,788

-25.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿377

Cinema Ticket

$10.91 NZ$18.66

$7.78 ฿256

40.23%

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

$728 NZ$1,245

$576 ฿19.0K

26.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K NZ$23.3K

$11.6K ฿381.2K

17.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 NZ$114

$63.6 ฿2,094

4.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.27 NZ$63.8

$29.10 ฿958

28.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 NZ$160

$96.2 ฿3,167

-2.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 NZ$201

$90.0 ฿2,962

30.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 NZ$1,638

$733 ฿24.1K

30.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 NZ$1,472

$501 ฿16.5K

71.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 NZ$2,928

$2,126 ฿70.0K

-19.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 NZ$2,651

$1,252 ฿41.2K

23.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,118 NZ$8,754

$3,534 ฿116.3K

44.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,428 NZ$5,864

$2,622 ฿86.3K

30.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

5.57

-3.23%

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

Last update for Dargaville: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Dargaville and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Dargaville vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $275 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

Dargaville vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dargaville and Phuket differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,967 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,951 in Dargaville and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $957 in Dargaville versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Dargaville versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Dargaville. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,967 in Dargaville, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Dargaville. 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, Dargaville 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 Dargaville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.