Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings, New Zealand and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,776 in Hastings, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Hastings
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Hastings Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Hastings

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,776

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,776 per month in Hastings vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Hastings $1,776
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Hastings vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Hastings $2,606
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $3,436 per month in Hastings vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Hastings $3,436
Phuket $3,154

Hastings costs about 39% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hastings sits 31% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.55 NZ$20.50

$4.47 ฿151

158.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 NZ$99.9

$32.41 ฿1,093

73.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 NZ$16.56

$8.81 ฿297

5.90%

Cappuccino

$3.29 NZ$5.83

$2.83 ฿95.4

16.25%

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

$1.82 NZ$3.23

$0.87 ฿29.41

109.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 NZ$2.48

$0.49 ฿16.65

185.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 NZ$7.86

$2.56 ฿86.3

73.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 NZ$10.02

$3.68 ฿124

53.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 NZ$2.63

$1.66 ฿55.9

-10.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 NZ$2.21

$1.46 ฿49.31

-15.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 NZ$3.15

$1.50 ฿50.5

18.00%

Eggs

$5.38 NZ$9.55

$2.09 ฿70.5

157.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.72 NZ$10.16

$19.07 ฿643

-70.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.48 NZ$13.28

$3.30 ฿111

126.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 NZ$20.82

$10.91 ฿368

7.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 NZ$4.62

$2.93 ฿98.9

-11.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 NZ$3.57

$1.69 ฿57.0

18.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NZ$5.52

$2.25 ฿75.8

38.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 NZ$5.94

$2.08 ฿70.0

60.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.17

$1.51 ฿51.0

18.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 NZ$1.82

$1.38 ฿46.52

-25.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 NZ$2.52

$1.07 ฿35.96

32.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 NZ$1.72

$0.52 ฿17.51

86.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.86 NZ$31.70

$4.20 ฿142

325.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.50 NZ$16.86

$18.79 ฿634

-49.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.86 NZ$6.85

$1.82 ฿61.5

112.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 NZ$5.36

$2.84 ฿95.8

6.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 NZ$5.01

$1.45 ฿48.98

94.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 NZ$184

$56.7 ฿1,912

83.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 NZ$6.66

$3.02 ฿102

24.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 NZ$4.99

$1.02 ฿34.33

175.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.06 NZ$58.7

$3.69 ฿125

795.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 NZ$2.77

$1.47 ฿49.76

6.12%

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

$28.0K NZ$49.7K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

4.61%

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

$22.8K NZ$40.5K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-14.60%

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

$193 NZ$342

$96.4 ฿3,251

99.92%

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

$36.75 NZ$65.2

$11.26 ฿380

226.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 NZ$104

$16.85 ฿568

247.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.61 NZ$49.01

$67.2 ฿2,268

-58.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 NZ$18.38

$7.50 ฿253

38.00%

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

$684 NZ$1,214

$476 ฿16.1K

43.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K NZ$40.8K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

104.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.65 NZ$84.6

$62.4 ฿2,104

-23.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 NZ$67.4

$28.41 ฿958

33.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 NZ$167

$94.3 ฿3,181

-0.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 NZ$160

$85.8 ฿2,895

4.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 NZ$1,466

$716 ฿24.2K

15.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 NZ$1,262

$491 ฿16.6K

44.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 NZ$2,781

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-18.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 NZ$2,068

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-18.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,213 NZ$7,479

$4,175 ฿140.9K

0.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,293 NZ$5,847

$3,045 ฿102.7K

8.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,586 NZ$2,816

$502 ฿16.9K

215.76%

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 Hastings: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hastings

$711 40%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 30.9% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hastings

$288 16.2%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 56.8% $163

Groceries & Markets

Hastings

$269 15.1%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 1% $2.7

Eating Out

Hastings

$206 11.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 40.9% $84

Getting Around

Hastings

$133 7.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 46.9% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Hastings

$121 6.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 0.4% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Hastings

$48 2.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 70.2% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $826 in Hastings versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hastings are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Hastings versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Hastings

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

21:21 9:21 PM

15:21 3:21 PM

6 h behind Hastings

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,100

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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Between locations

Hastings Phuket 9,590 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Hastings
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

Hastings vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hastings costs about 39% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,664 per month in Hastings and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $826 in Hastings.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Hastings and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Hastings at $1,776. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hastings it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hastings makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.