Cost of Living Comparison Between North Shore and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between North Shore and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,158 in North Shore versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,957 in North Shore versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,757 in North Shore versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in North Shore is roughly 71% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: North Shore is 56% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.41 NZ$24.77

$4.66 ฿154

209.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.4 NZ$123

$32.22 ฿1,065

121.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 NZ$14.48

$8.68 ฿287

-3.00%

Cappuccino

$3.47 NZ$5.97

$2.90 ฿95.8

19.66%

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

$2.10 NZ$3.62

$0.84 ฿27.89

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 NZ$2.98

$0.49 ฿16.16

255.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.39 NZ$12.70

$2.48 ฿82.0

197.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 NZ$12.01

$3.73 ฿123

87.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.94

$1.89 ฿62.3

-9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 NZ$2.32

$1.41 ฿46.54

-4.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.15

$1.62 ฿53.6

12.96%

Eggs

$5.91 NZ$10.15

$2.24 ฿74.1

163.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 NZ$14.36

$19.84 ฿656

-57.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 NZ$17.75

$3.48 ฿115

196.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.72 NZ$14.99

$11.37 ฿376

-23.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 NZ$4.60

$2.90 ฿95.8

-7.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 NZ$3.65

$1.72 ฿57.0

23.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.29

$2.27 ฿75.1

35.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 NZ$6.69

$2.13 ฿70.4

82.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 NZ$3.91

$1.47 ฿48.72

54.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 NZ$2.83

$1.42 ฿46.92

16.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NZ$3.46

$1.10 ฿36.25

82.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 NZ$1.11

$0.60 ฿19.76

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.42 NZ$41.99

$4.31 ฿142

466.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.09 NZ$17.34

$18.60 ฿615

-45.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 NZ$3.20

$1.80 ฿59.5

3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 NZ$2.02

$2.97 ฿98.0

-60.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 NZ$4.20

$2.25 ฿74.2

8.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 NZ$107

$23.49 ฿776

165.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 NZ$4.06

$3.10 ฿102

-23.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 NZ$3.64

$1.08 ฿35.56

96.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.13 NZ$58.7

$3.87 ฿128

781.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 NZ$3.13

$1.43 ฿47.16

27.27%

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

$26.9K NZ$46.2K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-3.30%

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

$22.8K NZ$39.2K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-15.55%

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

$190 NZ$327

$105 ฿3,462

81.74%

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

$14.99 NZ$25.76

$11.39 ฿376

31.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.54 NZ$73.1

$17.54 ฿580

142.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.46 NZ$48.93

$54.3 ฿1,795

-47.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$10.71 NZ$18.42

$7.78 ฿257

37.66%

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

$1,164 NZ$2,001

$576 ฿19.0K

101.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K NZ$25.7K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

28.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.2 NZ$126

$63.6 ฿2,103

14.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.57 NZ$64.6

$29.10 ฿961

29.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 NZ$155

$96.2 ฿3,179

-6.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 NZ$201

$90.0 ฿2,974

29.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 NZ$2,317

$733 ฿24.2K

83.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 NZ$1,907

$501 ฿16.5K

121.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,374 NZ$4,081

$2,126 ฿70.2K

11.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 NZ$2,379

$1,252 ฿41.4K

10.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,323 NZ$12.6K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

107.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,238 NZ$10.7K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

137.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,910 NZ$5,004

$508 ฿16.8K

473.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

5.57

-3.05%

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

Last update for North Shore: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,347 in North Shore and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

North Shore 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: $71.0 in North Shore vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $275 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

North Shore vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Shore and Phuket differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($2,158 vs $1,265 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 North Shore, 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: $1,347 in North Shore versus $733 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 $32.00 versus $71.0 in North Shore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,158 per month in North Shore versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,158 in North Shore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in North Shore. 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, North Shore 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 71% less than in North Shore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.