Cost of Living Comparison Between New Plymouth and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between New Plymouth and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,843 in New Plymouth versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in New Plymouth versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,788 in New Plymouth versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in New Plymouth is roughly 47% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: New Plymouth is 38% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.90 NZ$25.45

$4.55 ฿153

227.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.9 NZ$131

$46.18 ฿1,553

66.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 NZ$18.16

$8.84 ฿297

20.25%

Cappuccino

$3.64 NZ$6.22

$3.06 ฿103

18.95%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.87

$0.73 ฿24.40

209.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 NZ$3.49

$0.40 ฿13.39

410.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 NZ$9.22

$2.43 ฿81.8

122.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 NZ$12.43

$3.78 ฿127

92.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 NZ$3.41

$2.26 ฿76.0

-11.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 NZ$2.61

$1.81 ฿60.9

-15.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$2.99

$2.25 ฿75.8

-22.22%

Eggs

$6.17 NZ$10.54

$2.25 ฿75.5

174.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 NZ$13.06

$19.51 ฿656

-60.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 NZ$22.93

$3.65 ฿123

267.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.11 NZ$22.39

$13.05 ฿439

0.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 NZ$3.62

$3.23 ฿109

-34.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.36

$1.62 ฿54.4

21.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 NZ$5.54

$2.38 ฿80.1

36.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.78 NZ$11.59

$2.03 ฿68.1

233.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 NZ$4.39

$1.53 ฿51.6

67.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.84

$1.50 ฿50.5

10.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NZ$3.35

$0.98 ฿32.91

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 NZ$2.34

$0.52 ฿17.39

163.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.80 NZ$35.53

$4.44 ฿149

368.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.65 NZ$14.78

$18.32 ฿616

-52.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.75 NZ$6.40

$1.86 ฿62.7

101.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 NZ$7.43

$2.68 ฿90.1

62.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 NZ$3.00

$1.41 ฿47.46

24.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.7 NZ$110

$11.70 ฿393

452.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 NZ$3.02

$3.11 ฿105

-43.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.29 NZ$5.61

$1.04 ฿35.06

216.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.90 NZ$63.0

$14.11 ฿474

161.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.92

$1.31 ฿44.10

30.53%

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

$47.9K NZ$81.9K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

72.36%

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

$23.9K NZ$40.8K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-28.15%

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

$213 NZ$364

$122 ฿4,118

73.98%

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

$30.35 NZ$51.9

$13.59 ฿457

123.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.24 NZ$51.7

$18.70 ฿629

61.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.10 NZ$61.7

$60.5 ฿2,034

-40.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.12 NZ$20.71

$16.98 ฿571

-28.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.91 NZ$18.64

$9.07 ฿305

20.29%

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

$735 NZ$1,256

$706 ฿23.8K

4.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NZ$20.3K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-24.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 NZ$157

$58.6 ฿1,969

56.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.52 NZ$62.4

$35.36 ฿1,189

3.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 NZ$125

$115 ฿3,883

-36.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.2 NZ$115

$83.7 ฿2,816

-19.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 NZ$1,222

$626 ฿21.0K

14.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 NZ$1,142

$445 ฿15.0K

50.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 NZ$2,325

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-33.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 NZ$2,013

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-21.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,292 NZ$5,624

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-5.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,646 NZ$4,521

$2,577 ฿86.7K

2.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,862 NZ$4,890

$500 ฿16.8K

472.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

5.33

11.26%

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

Last update for New Plymouth: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $715 in New Plymouth and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Plymouth pays 473% 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: $77.0 in New Plymouth vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $289 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

New Plymouth vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Plymouth and Phuket differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,843 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 473% higher in New Plymouth, 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: $715 in New Plymouth versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 453% less than in New Plymouth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $735 in New Plymouth versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,843 in New Plymouth, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in New Plymouth. 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, New Plymouth 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 47% less than in New Plymouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.