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: $1,807 in New Plymouth versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,786 in New Plymouth versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,765 in New Plymouth versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in New Plymouth is roughly 43% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: New Plymouth is 35% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.24 NZ$25.95

$4.70 ฿153

224.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 NZ$134

$45.37 ฿1,482

73.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 NZ$18.07

$8.43 ฿275

25.86%

Cappuccino

$3.74 NZ$6.37

$2.93 ฿95.6

27.65%

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

$2.33 NZ$3.98

$0.69 ฿22.40

237.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 NZ$3.32

$0.37 ฿11.99

427.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.24 NZ$8.93

$2.41 ฿78.6

117.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 NZ$12.23

$3.72 ฿122

93.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 NZ$3.46

$2.23 ฿72.9

-8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 NZ$2.64

$1.83 ฿59.8

-15.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 NZ$2.96

$2.17 ฿70.8

-19.82%

Eggs

$6.15 NZ$10.47

$2.21 ฿72.3

178.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.59 NZ$12.93

$19.74 ฿645

-61.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.05 NZ$22.23

$3.63 ฿119

259.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.94 NZ$22.04

$13.53 ฿442

-4.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.66

$3.28 ฿107

-34.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.35

$1.61 ฿52.6

22.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 NZ$5.35

$2.41 ฿78.6

30.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.70 NZ$11.42

$2.08 ฿68.1

222.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 NZ$4.47

$1.53 ฿49.93

71.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.82

$1.48 ฿48.36

12.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NZ$3.35

$0.99 ฿32.29

98.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 NZ$2.40

$0.51 ฿16.67

176.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.22 NZ$36.14

$4.41 ฿144

381.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.67 NZ$14.76

$19.38 ฿633

-55.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.87 NZ$6.60

$1.78 ฿58.1

117.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 NZ$7.34

$2.71 ฿88.6

59.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 NZ$3.12

$1.37 ฿44.79

33.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 NZ$110

$11.39 ฿372

464.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 NZ$3.00

$3.02 ฿98.6

-41.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 NZ$5.87

$0.99 ฿32.48

248.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.28 NZ$61.8

$14.10 ฿461

157.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.81

$1.36 ฿44.51

21.32%

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

$47.6K NZ$81.1K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

68.74%

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

$23.7K NZ$40.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-27.87%

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

$214 NZ$365

$122 ฿3,975

75.88%

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

$29.67 NZ$50.5

$13.57 ฿443

118.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.46 NZ$51.9

$18.31 ฿598

66.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.20 NZ$61.7

$60.2 ฿1,967

-39.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.01 NZ$20.46

$17.14 ฿560

-29.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.16 NZ$19.01

$8.69 ฿284

28.42%

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

$741 NZ$1,263

$693 ฿22.6K

6.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NZ$20.3K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-24.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 NZ$154

$59.5 ฿1,944

52.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.47 NZ$62.1

$34.77 ฿1,136

4.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 NZ$124

$115 ฿3,743

-36.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.1 NZ$111

$83.3 ฿2,720

-21.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 NZ$1,249

$613 ฿20.0K

19.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 NZ$1,162

$437 ฿14.3K

56.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 NZ$2,299

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-35.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 NZ$1,974

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-23.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,360 NZ$5,724

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-10.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,703 NZ$4,605

$2,616 ฿85.4K

3.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,971 NZ$5,062

$508 ฿16.6K

484.80%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in New Plymouth and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Plymouth pays 485% 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: $79.0 in New Plymouth vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $293 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 43% in total monthly costs ($1,807 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

New Plymouth pays 485% more on average, 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: $733 in New Plymouth versus $613 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 464% less than in New Plymouth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $741 in New Plymouth versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,807 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 43% less than in New Plymouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.