Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fox Glacier and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,965 in Fox Glacier, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Fox Glacier
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Fox Glacier Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Fox Glacier

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,965

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fox Glacier and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Fox Glacier and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,965 in Fox Glacier versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Fox Glacier $1,965
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,013 in Fox Glacier versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Fox Glacier $3,013
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,061 in Fox Glacier versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Fox Glacier $4,061
Phuket $3,154

Living in Fox Glacier is roughly 54% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fox Glacier is 44% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.92 NZ$26.49

$4.47 ฿151

233.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 NZ$110

$32.41 ฿1,093

91.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 NZ$14.56

$8.81 ฿297

-6.92%

Cappuccino

$3.55 NZ$6.30

$2.83 ฿95.4

25.44%

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

$1.78 NZ$3.17

$0.87 ฿29.41

104.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 NZ$2.93

$0.49 ฿16.65

236.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 NZ$11.86

$2.56 ฿86.3

160.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 NZ$12.37

$3.68 ฿124

89.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 NZ$3.57

$1.66 ฿55.9

21.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 NZ$3.18

$1.46 ฿49.31

22.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 NZ$3.07

$1.50 ฿50.5

15.33%

Eggs

$5.99 NZ$10.63

$2.09 ฿70.5

186.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 NZ$16.71

$19.07 ฿643

-50.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.72 NZ$15.47

$3.30 ฿111

164.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 NZ$27.13

$10.91 ฿368

40.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.36

$2.93 ฿98.9

3.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 NZ$3.86

$1.69 ฿57.0

28.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 NZ$4.71

$2.25 ฿75.8

17.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 NZ$8.79

$2.08 ฿70.0

137.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 NZ$3.95

$1.51 ฿51.0

47.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 NZ$2.65

$1.38 ฿46.52

7.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NZ$4.08

$1.07 ฿35.96

114.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 NZ$2.08

$0.52 ฿17.51

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.30 NZ$43.15

$4.20 ฿142

478.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 NZ$14.51

$18.79 ฿634

-56.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 NZ$5.08

$1.82 ฿61.5

57.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NZ$5.13

$2.84 ฿95.8

1.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 NZ$3.38

$1.45 ฿48.98

31.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.2 NZ$169

$56.7 ฿1,912

68.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 NZ$3.70

$3.02 ฿102

-31.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 NZ$3.58

$1.02 ฿34.33

98.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.35 NZ$48.56

$3.69 ฿125

641.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 NZ$3.48

$1.47 ฿49.76

33.33%

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

$27.8K NZ$49.4K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

4.01%

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

$25.5K NZ$45.2K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-4.64%

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

$96.7 NZ$172

$96.4 ฿3,251

0.36%

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

$29.56 NZ$52.5

$11.26 ฿380

162.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 NZ$93.3

$16.85 ฿568

211.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.47 NZ$66.5

$67.2 ฿2,268

-44.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$9.87 NZ$17.53

$7.50 ฿253

31.60%

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

$704 NZ$1,250

$476 ฿16.1K

47.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K NZ$30.3K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

51.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 NZ$127

$62.4 ฿2,104

14.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.01 NZ$58.6

$28.41 ฿958

16.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 NZ$177

$94.3 ฿3,181

5.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 NZ$178

$85.8 ฿2,895

16.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 NZ$1,913

$716 ฿24.2K

50.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 NZ$1,617

$491 ฿16.6K

85.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 NZ$2,806

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-17.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 NZ$2,921

$1,431 ฿48.3K

15.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,875 NZ$8,655

$4,175 ฿140.9K

16.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,516 NZ$6,242

$3,045 ฿102.7K

15.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.83

5.57

4.67%

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

Last update for Fox Glacier: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Fox Glacier

$911 46.3%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 46.1% $420

Groceries & Markets

Fox Glacier

$319 16.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 16.6% $53

Eating Out

Fox Glacier

$248 12.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 50.9% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fox Glacier

$179 9.1%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 30.4% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Fox Glacier

$137 7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 10.9% $15

Getting Around

Fox Glacier

$115 5.9%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 38.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Fox Glacier

$57 2.9%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 43.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,078 in Fox Glacier and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Fox Glacier vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Fox Glacier

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

02:31 2:31 AM

20:31 8:31 PM

6 h behind Fox Glacier

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

300

79,308

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Fox Glacier Phuket 9,170 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Fox Glacier
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,965 in Fox Glacier and $1,278 in Phuket, so Phuket is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,948 in Fox Glacier and $1,917 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: $1,078 in Fox Glacier versus $716 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 40% less than in Fox Glacier. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $704 in Fox Glacier versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,965 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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Fox Glacier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.