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: $1,901 in Dargaville versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,947 in Dargaville versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,992 in Dargaville versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Dargaville is roughly 50% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dargaville is 42% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.30 NZ$26.37

$4.70 ฿154

225.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 NZ$136

$45.37 ฿1,491

73.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 NZ$16.74

$8.43 ฿277

15.30%

Cappuccino

$3.39 NZ$5.84

$2.93 ฿96.3

15.70%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.93

$0.69 ฿22.54

230.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 NZ$3.58

$0.37 ฿12.07

462.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 NZ$12.18

$2.41 ฿79.2

193.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 NZ$11.08

$3.72 ฿122

72.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 NZ$3.12

$2.23 ฿73.4

-18.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NZ$3.40

$1.83 ฿60.2

7.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.26

$2.17 ฿71.3

-12.90%

Eggs

$6.01 NZ$10.35

$2.21 ฿72.8

171.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 NZ$13.89

$19.74 ฿649

-59.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 NZ$16.17

$3.63 ฿119

158.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.61 NZ$21.72

$13.53 ฿445

-6.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 NZ$4.80

$3.28 ฿108

-14.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 NZ$3.75

$1.61 ฿53.0

34.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 NZ$5.41

$2.41 ฿79.2

30.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 NZ$8.14

$2.08 ฿68.5

127.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 NZ$3.52

$1.53 ฿50.3

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.23

$1.48 ฿48.67

26.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 NZ$3.79

$0.99 ฿32.50

122.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$1.99

$0.51 ฿16.78

125.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.25 NZ$41.78

$4.41 ฿145

449.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 NZ$18.58

$19.38 ฿637

-44.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 NZ$4.31

$1.78 ฿58.5

40.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 NZ$6.43

$2.71 ฿89.1

37.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 NZ$3.67

$1.37 ฿45.07

55.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 NZ$110

$11.39 ฿375

463.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 NZ$4.57

$3.02 ฿99.3

-12.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NZ$3.21

$0.99 ฿32.69

87.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.60 NZ$61.3

$14.10 ฿463

152.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.85

$1.36 ฿44.79

22.06%

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

$28.7K NZ$49.5K

$28.2K ฿927.0K

1.87%

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

$21.9K NZ$37.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-33.50%

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

$144 NZ$248

$122 ฿4,000

18.12%

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

$36.37 NZ$62.7

$13.57 ฿446

168.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 NZ$89.2

$18.31 ฿602

182.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.90 NZ$63.6

$60.2 ฿1,979

-38.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.16 NZ$20.95

$17.14 ฿563

-29.05%

Cinema Ticket

$10.64 NZ$18.32

$8.69 ฿286

22.44%

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

$745 NZ$1,284

$693 ฿22.8K

7.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K NZ$20.8K

$15.7K ฿515.6K

-23.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.5 NZ$118

$59.5 ฿1,957

15.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.60 NZ$64.8

$34.77 ฿1,143

8.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 NZ$166

$115 ฿3,767

-15.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 NZ$200

$83.3 ฿2,738

39.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 NZ$1,655

$613 ฿20.2K

56.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 NZ$1,330

$437 ฿14.4K

76.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 NZ$2,659

$2,094 ฿68.8K

-26.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 NZ$2,434

$1,509 ฿49.6K

-6.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,425 NZ$7,623

$3,749 ฿123.2K

18.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,413 NZ$5,880

$2,616 ฿86.0K

30.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

5.33

26.45%

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

Last update for Dargaville: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $961 in Dargaville and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Dargaville vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 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

Dargaville vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dargaville and Phuket differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($1,901 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 $2,852 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: $961 in Dargaville versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $745 in Dargaville versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Dargaville. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,901 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 50% less than in Dargaville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.