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: $1,904 in Fox Glacier versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,894 in Fox Glacier versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,885 in Fox Glacier versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in Fox Glacier is roughly 56% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fox Glacier is 43% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.15 NZ$26.33

$4.51 ฿148

235.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 NZ$134

$46.62 ฿1,528

65.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 NZ$16.38

$8.49 ฿278

11.07%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$5.92

$3.08 ฿101

10.71%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.92

$0.68 ฿22.26

232.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 NZ$3.50

$0.36 ฿11.84

458.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 NZ$12.75

$2.43 ฿79.5

202.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 NZ$10.92

$3.63 ฿119

73.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 NZ$3.29

$2.19 ฿71.7

-13.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 NZ$3.49

$1.81 ฿59.5

11.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.25

$2.23 ฿73.1

-16.14%

Eggs

$6.08 NZ$10.56

$2.24 ฿73.3

171.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 NZ$14.33

$19.60 ฿642

-57.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 NZ$16.56

$3.72 ฿122

156.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.71 NZ$22.07

$13.47 ฿441

-5.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 NZ$4.89

$3.36 ฿110

-16.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.78

$1.62 ฿53.0

34.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 NZ$5.32

$2.41 ฿79.0

26.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 NZ$8.03

$1.99 ฿65.2

132.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 NZ$3.55

$1.53 ฿50.2

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 NZ$3.37

$1.45 ฿47.59

33.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.84

$1.01 ฿33.23

118.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.93

$0.48 ฿15.86

131.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.78 NZ$41.31

$4.27 ฿140

456.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 NZ$16.62

$19.12 ฿627

-49.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 NZ$4.34

$1.84 ฿60.2

35.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 NZ$6.37

$2.74 ฿89.8

33.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 NZ$3.72

$1.42 ฿46.44

50.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 NZ$113

$11.72 ฿384

454.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 NZ$4.64

$3.00 ฿98.4

-11.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 NZ$3.08

$1.05 ฿34.28

68.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.10 NZ$61.0

$13.90 ฿456

152.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$3.01

$1.29 ฿42.28

34.11%

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

$28.5K NZ$49.6K

$28.0K ฿918.7K

1.82%

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

$22.0K NZ$38.2K

$33.5K ฿1.1M

-34.41%

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

$144 NZ$251

$122 ฿3,997

18.25%

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

$35.20 NZ$61.1

$13.93 ฿457

152.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 NZ$89.3

$18.87 ฿618

172.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.20 NZ$64.6

$61.3 ฿2,008

-39.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.86 NZ$20.60

$16.84 ฿552

-29.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.79 NZ$18.75

$8.89 ฿291

21.37%

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

$746 NZ$1,296

$691 ฿22.7K

7.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K NZ$21.4K

$16.2K ฿529.5K

-23.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 NZ$117

$57.8 ฿1,894

16.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.17 NZ$64.6

$35.39 ฿1,160

5.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 NZ$164

$113 ฿3,716

-16.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 NZ$204

$83.0 ฿2,720

41.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 NZ$1,664

$607 ฿19.9K

57.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$798 NZ$1,386

$448 ฿14.7K

78.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 NZ$2,784

$2,029 ฿66.5K

-21.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 NZ$2,503

$1,493 ฿48.9K

-3.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,309 NZ$7,485

$3,585 ฿117.5K

20.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,476 NZ$6,039

$2,585 ฿84.7K

34.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

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 Fox Glacier: June 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $958 in Fox Glacier and $607 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Fox Glacier vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $292 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 56% in total monthly costs ($1,904 vs $1,223 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,857 in Fox Glacier and $1,835 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: $958 in Fox Glacier versus $607 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 454% less than in Fox Glacier. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $746 in Fox Glacier versus $691 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,904 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 56% less than in Fox Glacier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.