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: $1,780 in North Shore versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,757 in North Shore versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,733 in North Shore versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in North Shore is roughly 41% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: North Shore is 33% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.92 NZ$25.19

$4.70 ฿153

217.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 NZ$133

$45.37 ฿1,482

74.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 NZ$14.28

$8.43 ฿275

0.36%

Cappuccino

$3.43 NZ$5.80

$2.93 ฿95.6

17.06%

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

$2.08 NZ$3.51

$0.69 ฿22.40

201.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 NZ$3.03

$0.37 ฿11.99

386.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 NZ$12.43

$2.41 ฿78.6

205.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 NZ$11.90

$3.72 ฿122

89.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 NZ$3.05

$2.23 ฿72.9

-18.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 NZ$2.62

$1.83 ฿59.8

-15.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.29

$2.17 ฿70.8

-10.14%

Eggs

$5.83 NZ$9.85

$2.21 ฿72.3

163.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.14 NZ$13.74

$19.74 ฿645

-58.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 NZ$16.03

$3.63 ฿119

161.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.19 NZ$15.51

$13.53 ฿442

-32.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 NZ$4.60

$3.28 ฿107

-16.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 NZ$3.54

$1.61 ฿52.6

30.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 NZ$5.59

$2.41 ฿78.6

37.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 NZ$7.02

$2.08 ฿68.1

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 NZ$3.38

$1.53 ฿49.93

30.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 NZ$2.90

$1.48 ฿48.36

16.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NZ$3.31

$0.99 ฿32.29

97.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 NZ$1.20

$0.51 ฿16.67

39.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.69 NZ$41.68

$4.41 ฿144

459.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 NZ$17.07

$19.38 ฿633

-47.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 NZ$3.14

$1.78 ฿58.1

4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 NZ$2.13

$2.71 ฿88.6

-53.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.51 NZ$4.23

$1.37 ฿44.79

83.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 NZ$108

$11.39 ฿372

462.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 NZ$3.59

$3.02 ฿98.6

-29.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NZ$3.22

$0.99 ฿32.48

92.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.66 NZ$58.5

$14.10 ฿461

145.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.77

$1.36 ฿44.51

20.59%

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

$28.3K NZ$47.7K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

0.27%

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

$22.0K NZ$37.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-33.03%

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

$146 NZ$246

$122 ฿3,975

19.67%

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

$15.04 NZ$25.39

$13.57 ฿443

10.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.24 NZ$74.7

$18.31 ฿598

141.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.74 NZ$48.52

$60.2 ฿1,967

-52.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.20 NZ$20.60

$17.14 ฿560

-28.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.02 NZ$18.60

$8.69 ฿284

26.81%

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

$916 NZ$1,546

$693 ฿22.6K

32.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K NZ$22.9K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-13.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 NZ$121

$59.5 ฿1,944

20.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.21 NZ$83.1

$34.77 ฿1,136

41.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 NZ$160

$115 ฿3,743

-17.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 NZ$153

$83.3 ฿2,720

8.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 NZ$1,800

$613 ฿20.0K

73.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$787 NZ$1,329

$437 ฿14.3K

80.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,950 NZ$4,980

$2,094 ฿68.4K

40.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 NZ$2,302

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-9.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,656 NZ$12.9K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

104.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,430 NZ$10.9K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

145.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,979 NZ$5,030

$508 ฿16.6K

486.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

5.33

19.51%

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

Last update for North Shore: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,066 in North Shore and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

North Shore pays 486% 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 North Shore vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $282 vs $293, with North Shore 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

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

North Shore and Phuket differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,780 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

North Shore pays 486% 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: $1,066 in North Shore versus $613 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 $45.00 versus $79.0 in North Shore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,780 per month in North Shore versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,780 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 41% less than in North Shore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.