Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Plymouth and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,820 in New Plymouth, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in New Plymouth
Learn more

New Plymouth Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

New Plymouth

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,820

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,820 in New Plymouth versus $1,278 in Phuket.

New Plymouth $1,820
Phuket $1,278

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

New Plymouth $2,828
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,836 in New Plymouth versus $3,154 in Phuket.

New Plymouth $3,836
Phuket $3,154

Living in New Plymouth is roughly 42% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: New Plymouth is 34% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.43 NZ$22.06

$4.47 ฿151

178.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.9 NZ$121

$32.41 ฿1,093

109.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 NZ$14.98

$8.81 ฿297

-4.20%

Cappuccino

$3.34 NZ$5.93

$2.83 ฿95.4

18.02%

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

$2.12 NZ$3.76

$0.87 ฿29.41

143.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 NZ$3.28

$0.49 ฿16.65

277.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.32 NZ$9.45

$2.56 ฿86.3

107.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 NZ$10.02

$3.68 ฿124

53.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 NZ$2.55

$1.66 ฿55.9

-13.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 NZ$2.22

$1.46 ฿49.31

-14.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 NZ$2.92

$1.50 ฿50.5

10.00%

Eggs

$5.53 NZ$9.82

$2.09 ฿70.5

164.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 NZ$9.79

$19.07 ฿643

-71.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.19 NZ$12.76

$3.30 ฿111

117.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.42 NZ$20.28

$10.91 ฿368

4.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 NZ$4.67

$2.93 ฿98.9

-10.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.29

$1.69 ฿57.0

10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 NZ$5.20

$2.25 ฿75.8

30.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.12 NZ$10.86

$2.08 ฿70.0

194.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.53

$1.51 ฿51.0

31.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 NZ$2.51

$1.38 ฿46.52

2.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 NZ$3.33

$1.07 ฿35.96

75.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 NZ$2.35

$0.52 ฿17.51

153.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.12 NZ$41.04

$4.20 ฿142

450.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 NZ$15.51

$18.79 ฿634

-53.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 NZ$5.37

$1.82 ฿61.5

66.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 NZ$6.72

$2.84 ฿95.8

33.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 NZ$2.99

$1.45 ฿48.98

15.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.6 NZ$133

$56.7 ฿1,912

31.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 NZ$6.53

$3.02 ฿102

21.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.97

$1.47 ฿49.76

13.61%

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

$28.7K NZ$50.9K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

7.08%

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

$22.8K NZ$40.5K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-14.61%

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

$130 NZ$231

$96.4 ฿3,251

34.77%

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

$27.85 NZ$49.44

$11.26 ฿380

147.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.35 NZ$85.8

$16.85 ฿568

186.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.29 NZ$76.9

$67.2 ฿2,268

-35.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 NZ$14.55

$7.50 ฿253

9.33%

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

$680 NZ$1,206

$476 ฿16.1K

42.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K NZ$41.0K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

104.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 NZ$109

$62.4 ฿2,104

-1.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.74 NZ$68.8

$28.41 ฿958

36.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 NZ$161

$94.3 ฿3,181

-3.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NZ$188

$85.8 ฿2,895

23.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 NZ$1,611

$716 ฿24.2K

26.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 NZ$1,485

$491 ฿16.6K

70.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,740 NZ$3,089

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-9.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 NZ$2,821

$1,431 ฿48.3K

11.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,209 NZ$5,697

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-23.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 NZ$4,655

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-13.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,787 NZ$4,948

$502 ฿16.9K

454.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

5.57

6.46%

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

Last update for New Plymouth: 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

New Plymouth

$836 45.9%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 41.3% $345

Groceries & Markets

New Plymouth

$281 15.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 5.3% $15

Eating Out

New Plymouth

$219 12%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 44.3% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Plymouth

$206 11.3%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 39.6% $82

Clothing & Footwear

New Plymouth

$133 7.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 8.6% $12

Getting Around

New Plymouth

$85 * 4.7%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 17% $14

Sport & Entertainment

New Plymouth

$60 3.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 37.8% $23

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 $907 in New Plymouth and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Plymouth pays about 5.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in New Plymouth vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 New Plymouth

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

13:08 1:08 PM

07:08 7:08 AM

6 h behind New Plymouth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,400

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New Plymouth Phuket 9,350 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

New Plymouth
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,820 in New Plymouth and $1,278 in Phuket, so Phuket is about 30% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in New Plymouth is about 5.5 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: $907 in New Plymouth versus $716 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 24% less than in New Plymouth. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $680 in New Plymouth versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,820 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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in New Plymouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.