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: $1,845 in Fox Glacier versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,869 in Fox Glacier versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,894 in Fox Glacier versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Fox Glacier is roughly 50% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fox Glacier is 38% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.04 NZ$25.71

$4.63 ฿151

224.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 NZ$136

$46.84 ฿1,532

69.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.56 NZ$16.34

$8.84 ฿289

8.14%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NZ$5.99

$3.00 ฿98.0

16.67%

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

$2.34 NZ$4.01

$0.74 ฿24.25

216.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NZ$3.57

$0.37 ฿11.95

464.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 NZ$12.55

$2.44 ฿79.8

200.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 NZ$10.63

$3.61 ฿118

72.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 NZ$3.07

$2.26 ฿73.9

-20.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NZ$3.41

$1.84 ฿60.1

8.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.11

$2.24 ฿73.4

-18.75%

Eggs

$5.98 NZ$10.22

$2.32 ฿75.7

157.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 NZ$14.18

$19.67 ฿643

-57.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 NZ$15.98

$3.65 ฿119

156.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 NZ$22.06

$13.10 ฿428

-1.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 NZ$4.61

$3.39 ฿111

-20.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 NZ$3.71

$1.64 ฿53.7

32.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NZ$5.12

$2.41 ฿79.0

24.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 NZ$7.68

$2.03 ฿66.4

121.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 NZ$3.51

$1.56 ฿50.9

31.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.33

$1.50 ฿48.94

30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$3.85

$1.02 ฿33.50

120.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$1.96

$0.49 ฿16.00

134.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.85 NZ$40.78

$4.45 ฿145

435.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 NZ$17.72

$18.88 ฿617

-45.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 NZ$4.31

$1.78 ฿58.1

41.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 NZ$6.38

$2.75 ฿90.1

35.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 NZ$3.59

$1.40 ฿45.81

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.6 NZ$109

$11.48 ฿376

453.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 NZ$4.76

$3.12 ฿102

-10.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.16

$1.00 ฿32.67

85.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.72 NZ$61.1

$14.09 ฿461

153.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.95

$1.35 ฿44.19

28.15%

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

$28.3K NZ$48.5K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

4.23%

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

$22.5K NZ$38.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-31.80%

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

$145 NZ$249

$125 ฿4,087

16.37%

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

$35.85 NZ$61.3

$13.57 ฿444

164.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 NZ$88.4

$18.52 ฿606

179.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.98 NZ$63.2

$61.5 ฿2,010

-39.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.09 NZ$20.67

$16.84 ฿551

-28.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 NZ$18.52

$9.19 ฿300

17.85%

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

$743 NZ$1,270

$698 ฿22.8K

6.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NZ$20.8K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-21.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 NZ$118

$57.8 ฿1,889

19.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.85 NZ$64.7

$35.24 ฿1,152

7.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 NZ$161

$113 ฿3,699

-16.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 NZ$200

$86.4 ฿2,825

35.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$982 NZ$1,679

$616 ฿20.1K

59.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 NZ$1,352

$446 ฿14.6K

77.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 NZ$2,684

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-23.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 NZ$2,483

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-2.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,212 NZ$8,913

$3,779 ฿123.6K

37.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,760 NZ$6,429

$2,649 ฿86.6K

41.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $982 in Fox Glacier and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in Fox Glacier vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 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 50% in total monthly costs ($1,845 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 $2,767 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: $982 in Fox Glacier versus $616 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 $743 in Fox Glacier versus $698 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 $1,845 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 50% less than in Fox Glacier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.