Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton, New Zealand and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,917 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
Learn more

Hamilton Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Hamilton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,917

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton 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 Hamilton and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,917 in Hamilton versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Hamilton $1,917
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Hamilton versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Hamilton $2,828
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,739 in Hamilton versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Hamilton $3,739
Phuket $3,154

Living in Hamilton is roughly 50% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamilton is 41% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 NZ$21.74

$4.47 ฿151

172.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 NZ$133

$32.41 ฿1,094

130.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 NZ$14.86

$8.81 ฿297

-5.33%

Cappuccino

$3.49 NZ$6.22

$2.83 ฿95.5

23.32%

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

$2.31 NZ$4.12

$0.87 ฿29.43

165.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 NZ$4.46

$0.49 ฿16.67

410.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 NZ$10.83

$2.56 ฿86.4

137.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 NZ$10.00

$3.68 ฿124

52.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 NZ$2.60

$1.66 ฿56.0

-12.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 NZ$2.23

$1.46 ฿49.35

-14.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 NZ$3.45

$1.50 ฿50.6

29.33%

Eggs

$5.52 NZ$9.83

$2.09 ฿70.5

164.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.78 NZ$10.30

$19.07 ฿644

-69.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.18 NZ$12.80

$3.30 ฿111

117.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 NZ$20.85

$10.91 ฿368

7.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 NZ$4.82

$2.93 ฿99.0

-7.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 NZ$4.12

$1.69 ฿57.1

36.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 NZ$5.78

$2.25 ฿75.8

44.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.21 NZ$11.06

$2.08 ฿70.1

198.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 NZ$3.65

$1.51 ฿51.0

35.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 NZ$2.52

$1.38 ฿46.56

2.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 NZ$4.43

$1.07 ฿35.99

132.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 NZ$1.75

$0.52 ฿17.52

88.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.19 NZ$46.68

$4.20 ฿142

523.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.72 NZ$19.11

$18.79 ฿634

-42.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.02 NZ$7.17

$1.82 ฿61.5

120.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 NZ$7.38

$2.84 ฿95.9

45.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 NZ$4.74

$1.45 ฿49.03

83.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.7 NZ$93.8

$56.7 ฿1,913

-7.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 NZ$6.59

$3.02 ฿102

22.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.97

$1.47 ฿49.81

13.61%

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

$28.2K NZ$50.3K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

5.38%

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

$22.4K NZ$39.8K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-16.26%

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

$58.3 NZ$104

$96.4 ฿3,254

-39.53%

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

$36.48 NZ$65.0

$11.26 ฿380

223.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 NZ$98.9

$16.85 ฿569

229.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.73 NZ$45.86

$67.2 ฿2,270

-61.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.98 NZ$51.6

$10.73 ฿362

170.08%

Cinema Ticket

$13.93 NZ$24.83

$7.50 ฿253

85.73%

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

$670 NZ$1,195

$476 ฿16.1K

40.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K NZ$40.0K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

99.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 NZ$113

$62.4 ฿2,106

2.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.93 NZ$69.4

$28.41 ฿959

37.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 NZ$169

$94.3 ฿3,184

0.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 NZ$190

$85.8 ฿2,898

24.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 NZ$1,942

$716 ฿24.2K

52.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$987 NZ$1,759

$491 ฿16.6K

101.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 NZ$2,915

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-15.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 NZ$2,631

$1,431 ฿48.3K

3.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,019 NZ$7,163

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-3.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 NZ$8,064

$3,045 ฿102.8K

48.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,678 NZ$4,773

$502 ฿17.0K

433.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

5.57

22.62%

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

Last update for Hamilton: 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

Hamilton

$987 51.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 50.3% $496

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$297 15.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 10.4% $31

Eating Out

Hamilton

$225 11.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 46% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$150 7.8%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 17.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$137 7.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 10.9% $15

Getting Around

Hamilton

$67 * 3.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 5.3% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$54 2.8%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 53.4% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,090 in Hamilton and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays about 5.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Hamilton vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Hamilton

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

23:51 11:51 PM

6 h behind Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

169,500

79,308

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hamilton Phuket 9,410 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
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

Hamilton vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Hamilton is about 5.3 times higher, 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: $1,090 in Hamilton versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $75 in Hamilton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,917 per month in Hamilton versus $1,278 in Phuket – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,917 in Hamilton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. 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, Hamilton 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Hamilton on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.