Cost of Living Comparison Between Invercargill and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Invercargill and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,575 per month in Invercargill vs $1,264 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,457 per month in Invercargill vs $2,256 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Invercargill vs $3,248 in Phuket, rent included.

Invercargill costs about 25% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Invercargill sits 18% above the global median, while Phuket is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.85 NZ$20.09

$4.48 ฿150

164.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 NZ$124

$45.59 ฿1,521

60.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 NZ$14.29

$8.76 ฿292

-3.77%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NZ$5.93

$2.97 ฿99.0

17.85%

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

$1.75 NZ$2.96

$0.69 ฿22.90

153.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 NZ$2.49

$0.39 ฿13.04

276.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 NZ$10.32

$2.53 ฿84.4

140.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 NZ$8.03

$3.75 ฿125

26.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 NZ$2.56

$2.15 ฿71.6

-29.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 NZ$3.06

$1.82 ฿60.6

-0.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.04

$2.18 ฿72.9

-17.89%

Eggs

$5.66 NZ$9.60

$2.25 ฿75.0

151.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 NZ$13.76

$20.00 ฿667

-59.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 NZ$16.09

$3.63 ฿121

161.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.20 NZ$22.38

$13.56 ฿452

-2.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 NZ$4.81

$3.24 ฿108

-12.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.00

$1.64 ฿54.6

43.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 NZ$4.52

$2.33 ฿77.8

14.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 NZ$6.21

$2.07 ฿69.1

77.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.36

$1.55 ฿51.6

27.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 NZ$2.98

$1.46 ฿48.54

20.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 NZ$4.20

$0.98 ฿32.86

152.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NZ$1.87

$0.48 ฿16.09

129.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.35 NZ$37.88

$4.35 ฿145

413.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.46 NZ$14.33

$18.57 ฿620

-54.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.02 NZ$6.81

$1.86 ฿61.9

116.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 NZ$5.96

$2.65 ฿88.6

32.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 NZ$2.70

$1.42 ฿47.28

11.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.9 NZ$107

$11.57 ฿386

443.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 NZ$3.96

$3.17 ฿106

-26.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 NZ$3.19

$1.03 ฿34.41

82.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.28 NZ$51.3

$13.89 ฿463

118.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.80

$1.34 ฿44.84

23.13%

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

$25.5K NZ$43.2K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-8.36%

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

$19.8K NZ$33.6K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-40.57%

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

$102 NZ$174

$123 ฿4,105

-16.82%

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

$36.37 NZ$61.7

$13.77 ฿459

164.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.29 NZ$83.6

$18.33 ฿611

168.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.70 NZ$50.4

$60.7 ฿2,025

-51.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.26 NZ$20.78

$17.16 ฿573

-28.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.74 NZ$16.52

$8.87 ฿296

9.81%

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

$592 NZ$1,004

$688 ฿22.9K

-13.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NZ$20.7K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-22.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 NZ$113

$59.3 ฿1,978

12.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.28 NZ$59.8

$34.69 ฿1,157

1.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 NZ$138

$115 ฿3,843

-29.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 NZ$142

$83.8 ฿2,794

0.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 NZ$1,087

$621 ฿20.7K

3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 NZ$980

$446 ฿14.9K

29.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$869 NZ$1,474

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-57.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 NZ$1,829

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-27.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,735 NZ$9,722

$3,455 ฿115.3K

65.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,153 NZ$8,736

$2,531 ฿84.4K

103.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,099 NZ$5,253

$494 ฿16.5K

527.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

5.33

28.89%

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

Last update for Invercargill: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $641 in Invercargill versus $621 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 run about 528% higher in Invercargill, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Invercargill versus $46.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $308 vs $291 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Invercargill vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Invercargill costs about 25% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $2,362 per month in Invercargill and $1,896 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Invercargill, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Invercargill and $46.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,264, than in Invercargill at $1,575. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Invercargill it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,264 versus $1,575 in Invercargill. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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