Cost of Living Comparison Between Masterton and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Masterton and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,510 in Masterton versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,430 in Masterton versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,350 in Masterton versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Masterton is roughly 19% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Masterton is 13% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.01 NZ$17.26

$4.48 ฿150

123.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.1 NZ$154

$45.59 ฿1,525

95.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.82 NZ$15.20

$8.76 ฿293

0.68%

Cappuccino

$3.25 NZ$5.60

$2.97 ฿99.3

9.43%

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

$2.07 NZ$3.56

$0.69 ฿22.96

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 NZ$2.70

$0.39 ฿13.07

302.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 NZ$6.20

$2.53 ฿84.7

42.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 NZ$7.06

$3.75 ฿125

9.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 NZ$2.57

$2.15 ฿71.8

-30.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 NZ$2.79

$1.82 ฿60.7

-10.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 NZ$2.01

$2.18 ฿73.1

-46.33%

Eggs

$6.31 NZ$10.88

$2.25 ฿75.2

180.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.27 NZ$12.53

$20.00 ฿669

-63.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 NZ$15.87

$3.63 ฿121

153.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 NZ$21.71

$13.56 ฿453

-7.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.07

$3.24 ฿109

-45.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.21

$1.64 ฿54.7

13.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 NZ$4.42

$2.33 ฿78.0

9.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 NZ$5.90

$2.07 ฿69.3

65.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 NZ$2.47

$1.55 ฿51.8

-7.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 NZ$2.08

$1.46 ฿48.67

-17.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 NZ$3.18

$0.98 ฿32.94

87.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NZ$1.57

$0.48 ฿16.13

89.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.66 NZ$35.60

$4.35 ฿146

374.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.99 NZ$18.93

$18.57 ฿621

-40.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 NZ$4.01

$1.86 ฿62.1

25.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 NZ$4.52

$2.65 ฿88.8

-1.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 NZ$4.22

$1.42 ฿47.40

72.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 NZ$112

$11.57 ฿387

463.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 NZ$4.07

$3.17 ฿106

-25.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.06

$1.03 ฿34.51

72.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.16 NZ$70.9

$13.89 ฿465

196.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 NZ$2.81

$1.34 ฿44.96

21.64%

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

$24.1K NZ$41.5K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

-13.38%

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

$22.8K NZ$39.2K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-31.79%

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

$80.0 NZ$138

$123 ฿4,116

-35.02%

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

$32.22 NZ$55.5

$13.77 ฿461

133.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.35 NZ$81.6

$18.33 ฿613

158.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.93 NZ$68.8

$60.7 ฿2,030

-34.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.97 NZ$15.45

$17.16 ฿574

-47.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 NZ$14.20

$8.87 ฿297

-7.10%

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

$397 NZ$684

$688 ฿23.0K

-42.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,899 NZ$8,442

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-68.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 NZ$121

$59.3 ฿1,984

18.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.77 NZ$51.3

$34.69 ฿1,160

-14.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 NZ$178

$115 ฿3,853

-10.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 NZ$199

$83.8 ฿2,802

38.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 NZ$1,367

$621 ฿20.8K

27.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 NZ$1,028

$446 ฿14.9K

33.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 NZ$2,143

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-38.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 NZ$1,895

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-26.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,400 NZ$4,135

$494 ฿16.5K

386.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

5.33

25.52%

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

Last update for Masterton: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $793 in Masterton and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Masterton pays 386% 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: $89.0 in Masterton vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $278 vs $291, with Masterton cheaper for home cooking.

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

Masterton vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 386% higher in Masterton, 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: $793 in Masterton versus $621 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 $46.00 versus $89.0 in Masterton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,510 per month in Masterton versus $1,264 in Phuket – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,510 in Masterton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Masterton. 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 Masterton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Masterton 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 19% less than in Masterton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.