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: $1,807 in Dunedin versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,801 in Dunedin versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,796 in Dunedin versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Dunedin is roughly 43% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 NZ$20.65

$4.70 ฿153

160.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 NZ$123

$45.37 ฿1,482

60.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 NZ$18.35

$8.43 ฿275

28.94%

Cappuccino

$3.45 NZ$5.82

$2.93 ฿95.6

17.75%

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

$2.18 NZ$3.67

$0.69 ฿22.40

215.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 NZ$3.38

$0.37 ฿11.99

440.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.20 NZ$12.16

$2.41 ฿78.6

198.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 NZ$10.08

$3.72 ฿122

60.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 NZ$3.49

$2.23 ฿72.9

-7.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NZ$3.24

$1.83 ฿59.8

4.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.16

$2.17 ฿70.8

-13.82%

Eggs

$5.73 NZ$9.67

$2.21 ฿72.3

159.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 NZ$13.62

$19.74 ฿645

-59.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.84 NZ$18.30

$3.63 ฿119

198.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 NZ$22.23

$13.53 ฿442

-2.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 NZ$4.94

$3.28 ฿107

-10.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.81

$1.61 ฿52.6

39.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 NZ$5.78

$2.41 ฿78.6

42.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 NZ$7.51

$2.08 ฿68.1

113.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.34

$1.53 ฿49.93

29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 NZ$3.41

$1.48 ฿48.36

36.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 NZ$4.33

$0.99 ฿32.29

158.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NZ$1.82

$0.51 ฿16.67

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.76 NZ$40.11

$4.41 ฿144

438.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.41 NZ$15.88

$19.38 ฿633

-51.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 NZ$4.31

$1.78 ฿58.1

43.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 NZ$6.19

$2.71 ฿88.6

35.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 NZ$2.08

$1.37 ฿44.79

-10.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 NZ$124

$11.39 ฿372

546.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 NZ$10.36

$3.02 ฿98.6

103.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 NZ$1.94

$0.99 ฿32.48

16.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.78 NZ$50.3

$14.10 ฿461

111.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.81

$1.36 ฿44.51

22.06%

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

$20.0K NZ$33.7K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-29.15%

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

$25.4K NZ$42.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-22.83%

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

$102 NZ$173

$122 ฿3,975

-15.99%

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

$35.87 NZ$60.6

$13.57 ฿443

164.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 NZ$91.7

$18.31 ฿598

196.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 NZ$88.1

$60.2 ฿1,967

-13.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.13 NZ$10.36

$17.14 ฿560

-64.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.67 NZ$16.32

$8.69 ฿284

11.28%

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

$575 NZ$971

$693 ฿22.6K

-17.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NZ$20.1K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-24.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.2 NZ$114

$59.5 ฿1,944

12.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.51 NZ$60.0

$34.77 ฿1,136

2.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 NZ$159

$115 ฿3,743

-17.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$205

$83.3 ฿2,720

45.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 NZ$1,493

$613 ฿20.0K

44.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 NZ$1,278

$437 ฿14.3K

73.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 NZ$2,501

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-29.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 NZ$2,250

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-11.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,023 NZ$5,104

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-19.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,045 NZ$3,452

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-21.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,611 NZ$4,409

$508 ฿16.6K

413.91%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $884 in Dunedin and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 414% 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: $73.0 in Dunedin vs $45.00 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

Dunedin vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dunedin and Phuket differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,807 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Dunedin pays 414% 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: $884 in Dunedin versus $613 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 546% less than in Dunedin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $575 in Dunedin versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,807 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 43% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.