Cost of Living Comparison Between Gisborne and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Gisborne and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,998 in Gisborne versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,928 in Gisborne versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,857 in Gisborne versus $3,339 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Gisborne is 49% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.32 NZ$25.88

$4.66 ฿150

228.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 NZ$134

$46.44 ฿1,496

70.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 NZ$15.97

$8.68 ฿280

8.87%

Cappuccino

$3.38 NZ$5.72

$2.95 ฿95.0

14.58%

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

$2.35 NZ$3.97

$0.70 ฿22.52

235.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 NZ$3.54

$0.39 ฿12.70

438.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 NZ$12.56

$2.53 ฿81.6

193.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 NZ$10.87

$3.78 ฿122

70.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 NZ$3.18

$2.22 ฿71.5

-15.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 NZ$3.26

$1.80 ฿57.8

7.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.16

$2.19 ฿70.4

-14.61%

Eggs

$6.22 NZ$10.51

$2.31 ฿74.5

169.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.24 NZ$13.92

$19.34 ฿623

-57.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 NZ$15.91

$3.77 ฿121

149.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.98 NZ$21.94

$13.22 ฿426

-1.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 NZ$4.75

$3.33 ฿107

-15.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 NZ$3.85

$1.65 ฿53.1

38.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.03

$2.29 ฿73.7

29.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 NZ$7.59

$1.99 ฿64.1

125.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.49

$1.53 ฿49.24

35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 NZ$3.28

$1.51 ฿48.77

28.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 NZ$3.67

$1.03 ฿33.12

110.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.87

$0.51 ฿16.57

117.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.80 NZ$40.23

$4.41 ฿142

439.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.46 NZ$14.30

$19.41 ฿625

-56.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 NZ$4.42

$1.80 ฿58.0

45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 NZ$6.26

$2.68 ฿86.4

38.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 NZ$3.55

$1.43 ฿46.11

46.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 NZ$110

$11.70 ฿377

454.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 NZ$4.50

$3.04 ฿97.9

-12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.13

$1.04 ฿33.37

77.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.00 NZ$59.2

$13.68 ฿441

155.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 NZ$2.83

$1.30 ฿41.85

29.23%

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

$27.8K NZ$47.0K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-0.28%

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

$22.5K NZ$38.1K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-31.77%

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

$144 NZ$243

$123 ฿3,962

16.71%

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

$36.23 NZ$61.2

$13.82 ฿445

162.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 NZ$87.5

$18.86 ฿608

174.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.96 NZ$62.5

$61.2 ฿1,970

-39.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.26 NZ$20.72

$16.81 ฿541

-27.07%

Cinema Ticket

$10.91 NZ$18.44

$8.87 ฿286

23.00%

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

$724 NZ$1,224

$696 ฿22.4K

4.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.2K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-25.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 NZ$115

$59.3 ฿1,910

14.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.04 NZ$62.6

$34.85 ฿1,123

6.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 NZ$161

$113 ฿3,646

-16.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 NZ$197

$85.1 ฿2,740

37.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 NZ$1,613

$615 ฿19.8K

55.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 NZ$1,454

$448 ฿14.4K

91.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 NZ$2,408

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-31.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,335 NZ$2,256

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-10.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,373 NZ$7,391

$3,734 ฿120.3K

17.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,442 NZ$5,817

$2,662 ฿85.8K

29.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,434 NZ$7,494

$534 ฿17.2K

731.07%

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 Gisborne: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $954 in Gisborne and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gisborne pays 731% 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: $79 in Gisborne vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $313 vs $291 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

Gisborne vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Gisborne pays 731% 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: $954 in Gisborne versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,998 per month in Gisborne versus $1,270 in Phuket – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 454% less than in Gisborne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,998 in Gisborne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Gisborne. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Gisborne, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gisborne 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 Gisborne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.