Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,930 in Dunedin versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,859 in Dunedin versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,787 in Dunedin versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Dunedin is roughly 54% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dunedin is 40% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 NZ$25.66

$4.56 ฿151

229.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 NZ$109

$32.62 ฿1,082

96.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 NZ$20.34

$8.90 ฿295

33.71%

Cappuccino

$3.39 NZ$5.79

$2.80 ฿93.0

21.07%

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

$2.21 NZ$3.78

$0.88 ฿29.19

151.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 NZ$3.68

$0.49 ฿16.23

338.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.24 NZ$12.37

$2.39 ฿79.2

202.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 NZ$11.34

$3.71 ฿123

78.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 NZ$3.80

$1.79 ฿59.3

24.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 NZ$3.44

$1.44 ฿47.81

39.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.05

$1.58 ฿52.6

12.66%

Eggs

$5.96 NZ$10.18

$2.13 ฿70.5

179.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.00 NZ$15.38

$19.92 ฿661

-54.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.78 NZ$16.70

$3.43 ฿114

185.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 NZ$29.78

$11.33 ฿376

53.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 NZ$5.23

$2.95 ฿97.8

3.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 NZ$4.07

$1.72 ฿57.1

38.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 NZ$5.84

$2.32 ฿77.1

47.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.32 NZ$9.09

$2.08 ฿69.0

155.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 NZ$3.41

$1.47 ฿48.77

36.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 NZ$3.30

$1.36 ฿45.05

41.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 NZ$4.29

$1.10 ฿36.45

128.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 NZ$1.01

$0.57 ฿19.06

3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.07 NZ$37.71

$4.27 ฿142

416.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.64 NZ$16.47

$18.42 ฿611

-47.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NZ$5.63

$1.87 ฿62.1

76.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 NZ$2.14

$2.92 ฿96.9

-57.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 NZ$2.07

$2.22 ฿73.6

-45.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.7 NZ$121

$22.90 ฿759

208.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 NZ$10.15

$3.03 ฿101

96.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.63

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.41 NZ$50.3

$3.93 ฿130

648.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 NZ$3.03

$1.49 ฿49.49

18.79%

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

$26.2K NZ$44.7K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

-3.57%

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

$26.3K NZ$44.9K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

-4.36%

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

$116 NZ$198

$103 ฿3,410

12.60%

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

$29.62 NZ$50.6

$10.99 ฿365

169.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 NZ$91.8

$17.51 ฿581

206.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 NZ$86.7

$53.5 ฿1,776

-5.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$10.66 NZ$18.21

$7.48 ฿248

42.51%

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

$616 NZ$1,052

$557 ฿18.5K

10.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿393.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 NZ$106

$64.1 ฿2,125

-3.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.56 NZ$64.2

$29.07 ฿964

29.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 NZ$163

$96.0 ฿3,183

-0.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 NZ$245

$90.3 ฿2,997

58.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 NZ$1,554

$730 ฿24.2K

24.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$804 NZ$1,374

$500 ฿16.6K

60.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 NZ$2,698

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-24.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 NZ$2,082

$1,209 ฿40.1K

0.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿119.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,313 NZ$3,952

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-7.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,574 NZ$4,397

$503 ฿16.7K

411.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

5.57

26.93%

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

Last update for Dunedin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $910 in Dunedin and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 411% 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 Dunedin vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $273 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

Dunedin vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dunedin and Phuket differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($1,930 vs $1,253 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 411% higher in Dunedin, 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: $910 in Dunedin versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 209% less than in Dunedin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $616 in Dunedin versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,930 in Dunedin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Dunedin. 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, Dunedin 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 54% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.