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: $1,857 in Dunedin versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,803 in Dunedin versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,748 in Dunedin versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Dunedin is roughly 49% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dunedin is 39% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.97 NZ$20.48

$4.55 ฿153

163.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.7 NZ$123

$46.18 ฿1,550

55.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 NZ$18.91

$8.84 ฿297

25.00%

Cappuccino

$3.46 NZ$5.92

$3.06 ฿103

13.07%

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

$2.20 NZ$3.77

$0.73 ฿24.36

201.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 NZ$3.50

$0.40 ฿13.37

410.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.21 NZ$12.33

$2.43 ฿81.6

196.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 NZ$10.03

$3.78 ฿127

55.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 NZ$3.55

$2.26 ฿75.8

-8.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NZ$3.41

$1.81 ฿60.8

9.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 NZ$3.22

$2.25 ฿75.7

-16.44%

Eggs

$5.71 NZ$9.77

$2.25 ฿75.4

153.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 NZ$14.45

$19.51 ฿655

-56.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.71 NZ$18.32

$3.65 ฿122

193.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 NZ$22.48

$13.05 ฿438

0.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 NZ$4.96

$3.23 ฿109

-10.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.84

$1.62 ฿54.3

38.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 NZ$5.88

$2.38 ฿80.0

44.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 NZ$7.65

$2.03 ฿68.0

120.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.39

$1.53 ฿51.5

29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.39

$1.50 ฿50.4

32.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 NZ$4.34

$0.98 ฿32.85

159.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NZ$1.89

$0.52 ฿17.36

111.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.44 NZ$41.81

$4.44 ฿149

450.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.76 NZ$14.98

$18.32 ฿615

-52.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 NZ$4.41

$1.86 ฿62.6

38.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 NZ$6.26

$2.68 ฿90.0

36.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 NZ$2.05

$1.41 ฿47.37

-14.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 NZ$125

$11.70 ฿393

522.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 NZ$10.44

$3.11 ฿104

96.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 NZ$1.94

$1.04 ฿35.00

8.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.14 NZ$51.6

$14.11 ฿474

113.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.82

$1.31 ฿44.02

25.95%

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

$19.7K NZ$33.6K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

-29.29%

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

$25.2K NZ$43.2K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-24.01%

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

$102 NZ$175

$122 ฿4,110

-16.47%

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

$36.07 NZ$61.7

$13.59 ฿456

165.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 NZ$93.1

$18.70 ฿628

191.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 NZ$89.1

$60.5 ฿2,031

-13.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.20 NZ$10.61

$16.98 ฿570

-63.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.56 NZ$16.36

$9.07 ฿305

5.40%

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

$584 NZ$999

$706 ฿23.7K

-17.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.5K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-24.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 NZ$114

$58.6 ฿1,965

13.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 NZ$61.3

$35.36 ฿1,187

1.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 NZ$166

$115 ฿3,876

-16.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NZ$209

$83.7 ฿2,811

45.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 NZ$1,532

$626 ฿21.0K

43.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 NZ$1,327

$445 ฿14.9K

74.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 NZ$2,607

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-25.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 NZ$2,237

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-12.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿116.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,229 NZ$3,813

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-13.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,522 NZ$4,315

$500 ฿16.8K

404.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

5.33

32.65%

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

Last update for Dunedin: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $895 in Dunedin and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 405% 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: $72.0 in Dunedin vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $289 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 49% in total monthly costs ($1,857 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 405% 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: $895 in Dunedin versus $626 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 523% less than in Dunedin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $584 in Dunedin versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,857 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 49% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.