Cost of Living Comparison Between Fox Glacier and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Fox Glacier and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,934 in Fox Glacier versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,930 in Fox Glacier versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,927 in Fox Glacier versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Fox Glacier is roughly 57% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fox Glacier is 41% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.70 NZ$27.45

$4.41 ฿147

256.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 NZ$121

$32.26 ฿1,077

115.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 NZ$18.33

$8.93 ฿298

17.36%

Cappuccino

$3.36 NZ$5.87

$2.90 ฿96.6

15.86%

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

$2.09 NZ$3.66

$0.88 ฿29.38

137.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 NZ$3.19

$0.48 ฿16.06

279.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 NZ$12.37

$2.35 ฿78.5

201.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 NZ$9.59

$3.72 ฿124

47.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 NZ$2.71

$1.87 ฿62.3

-17.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NZ$3.44

$1.47 ฿48.94

34.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.48

$1.55 ฿51.8

28.39%

Eggs

$5.10 NZ$8.91

$2.10 ฿70.1

142.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 NZ$13.73

$19.59 ฿654

-59.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 NZ$15.78

$3.42 ฿114

164.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 NZ$23.52

$11.38 ฿380

18.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 NZ$4.72

$2.98 ฿99.6

-9.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 NZ$3.66

$1.68 ฿56.2

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 NZ$5.79

$2.21 ฿73.7

49.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 NZ$9.61

$2.16 ฿72.1

154.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.95

$1.52 ฿50.9

48.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 NZ$2.80

$1.34 ฿44.67

19.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.87

$1.13 ฿37.67

95.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.17

$0.55 ฿18.24

125.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.05 NZ$45.54

$4.26 ฿142

511.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 NZ$14.31

$19.09 ฿637

-57.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 NZ$4.73

$1.78 ฿59.4

52.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NZ$4.84

$2.78 ฿92.9

-0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 NZ$2.90

$2.23 ฿74.4

-25.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.4 NZ$127

$22.74 ฿759

218.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 NZ$4.40

$3.03 ฿101

-16.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 NZ$2.91

$1.02 ฿34.15

62.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.88 NZ$52.2

$3.89 ฿130

668.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 NZ$2.74

$1.49 ฿49.77

4.70%

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

$27.5K NZ$48.0K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

3.38%

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

$26.9K NZ$47.1K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-0.39%

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

$113 NZ$198

$102 ฿3,420

10.43%

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

$28.39 NZ$49.62

$11.33 ฿378

150.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.94 NZ$85.6

$17.40 ฿581

181.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.66 NZ$79.8

$52.1 ฿1,738

-12.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 NZ$17.66

$7.69 ฿257

31.34%

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

$615 NZ$1,075

$561 ฿18.7K

9.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.5K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

11.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 NZ$98.8

$63.0 ฿2,104

-10.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.83 NZ$57.4

$29.52 ฿986

11.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 NZ$161

$98.0 ฿3,272

-6.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 NZ$169

$88.5 ฿2,954

9.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 NZ$1,472

$738 ฿24.6K

14.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 NZ$1,335

$482 ฿16.1K

58.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 NZ$2,610

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-29.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 NZ$2,323

$1,226 ฿40.9K

8.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,683 NZ$8,187

$3,617 ฿120.7K

29.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,681 NZ$6,436

$2,603 ฿86.9K

41.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

5.57

-3.05%

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

Last update for Fox Glacier: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $842 in Fox Glacier and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Fox Glacier vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $274 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

Fox Glacier vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fox Glacier and Phuket differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,934 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,900 in Fox Glacier and $1,847 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: $842 in Fox Glacier versus $738 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 218% less than in Fox Glacier. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $615 in Fox Glacier versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,934 in Fox Glacier, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Fox Glacier. 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, Fox Glacier 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 57% less than in Fox Glacier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.