Cost of Living Comparison Between Oamaru and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Oamaru and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,784 in Oamaru versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,778 in Oamaru versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Oamaru versus $3,329 in Phuket.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 NZ$28.95

$4.70 ฿153

264.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 NZ$123

$45.37 ฿1,482

61.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 NZ$16.09

$8.43 ฿275

13.05%

Cappuccino

$3.49 NZ$5.89

$2.93 ฿95.6

19.11%

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

$2.35 NZ$3.98

$0.69 ฿22.40

240.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 NZ$3.47

$0.37 ฿11.99

454.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 NZ$12.40

$2.41 ฿78.6

204.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.42 NZ$12.53

$3.72 ฿122

99.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 NZ$2.97

$2.23 ฿72.9

-21.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 NZ$1.86

$1.83 ฿59.8

-39.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 NZ$2.00

$2.17 ฿70.8

-45.16%

Eggs

$3.75 NZ$6.33

$2.21 ฿72.3

69.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 NZ$13.70

$19.74 ฿645

-58.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.57 NZ$16.16

$3.63 ฿119

163.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.16 NZ$22.22

$13.53 ฿442

-2.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 NZ$4.04

$3.28 ฿107

-27.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.14

$1.61 ฿52.6

15.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 NZ$5.12

$2.41 ฿78.6

26.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.85 NZ$9.87

$2.08 ฿68.1

181.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 NZ$2.48

$1.53 ฿49.93

-3.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.07

$1.48 ฿48.36

-16.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 NZ$3.07

$0.99 ฿32.29

83.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 NZ$2.40

$0.51 ฿16.67

178.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.55 NZ$41.45

$4.41 ฿144

456.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 NZ$10.29

$19.38 ฿633

-68.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.79 NZ$6.39

$1.78 ฿58.1

112.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 NZ$8.08

$2.71 ฿88.6

76.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 NZ$3.61

$1.37 ฿44.79

56.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 NZ$110

$11.39 ฿372

471.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 NZ$4.51

$3.02 ฿98.6

-11.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 NZ$2.92

$0.99 ฿32.48

74.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.23 NZ$51.0

$14.10 ฿461

114.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.88

$1.36 ฿44.51

25.74%

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

$27.3K NZ$46.1K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-3.14%

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

$19.8K NZ$33.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-39.95%

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

$118 NZ$199

$122 ฿3,975

-3.33%

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

$17.82 NZ$30.08

$13.57 ฿443

31.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.72 NZ$82.3

$18.31 ฿598

166.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.84 NZ$62.2

$60.2 ฿1,967

-38.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.11 NZ$20.45

$17.14 ฿560

-29.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.96 NZ$18.50

$8.69 ฿284

26.12%

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

$628 NZ$1,061

$693 ฿22.6K

-9.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,434 NZ$15.9K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-39.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 NZ$99.9

$59.5 ฿1,944

-0.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.73 NZ$29.93

$34.77 ฿1,136

-49.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.83 NZ$82.5

$115 ฿3,743

-57.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.6 NZ$90.4

$83.3 ฿2,720

-35.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$965 NZ$1,629

$613 ฿20.0K

57.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$777 NZ$1,311

$437 ฿14.3K

77.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 NZ$2,700

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-23.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 NZ$2,373

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-6.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,604 NZ$7,773

$3,749 ฿122.5K

22.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,643 NZ$6,150

$2,616 ฿85.4K

39.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,072 NZ$3,498

$508 ฿16.6K

307.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.57%

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

Last update for Oamaru: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $965 in Oamaru and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oamaru pays 308% 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: $73.0 in Oamaru vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 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

Oamaru vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Oamaru pays 308% 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: $965 in Oamaru versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Oamaru. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $73.0 in Oamaru. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,784 in Oamaru, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Oamaru. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Oamaru, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Oamaru 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 Oamaru. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.