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: $1,837 in Oamaru versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,800 in Oamaru versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Oamaru versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Oamaru is roughly 49% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oamaru is 34% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.72 NZ$25.73

$4.41 ฿147

233.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 NZ$120

$32.26 ฿1,077

112.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.49 NZ$16.59

$8.93 ฿298

6.27%

Cappuccino

$3.38 NZ$5.91

$2.90 ฿96.6

16.55%

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

$2.42 NZ$4.23

$0.88 ฿29.38

175.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 NZ$3.22

$0.48 ฿16.06

283.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.01 NZ$12.25

$2.35 ฿78.5

198.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 NZ$12.30

$3.72 ฿124

89.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 NZ$3.10

$1.87 ฿62.3

-5.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 NZ$2.41

$1.47 ฿48.94

-6.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 NZ$2.72

$1.55 ฿51.8

0.65%

Eggs

$5.43 NZ$9.49

$2.10 ฿70.1

158.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.83 NZ$13.69

$19.59 ฿654

-60.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 NZ$16.17

$3.42 ฿114

170.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 NZ$24.70

$11.38 ฿380

24.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 NZ$4.41

$2.98 ฿99.6

-15.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 NZ$3.74

$1.68 ฿56.2

27.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 NZ$4.97

$2.21 ฿73.7

28.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.38

$2.16 ฿72.1

42.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 NZ$2.80

$1.52 ฿50.9

5.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 NZ$2.39

$1.34 ฿44.67

2.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 NZ$3.80

$1.13 ฿37.67

92.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 NZ$1.23

$0.55 ฿18.24

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.18 NZ$42.27

$4.26 ฿142

467.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 NZ$10.19

$19.09 ฿637

-69.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.46 NZ$6.04

$1.78 ฿59.4

94.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 NZ$7.96

$2.78 ฿92.9

63.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 NZ$3.39

$2.23 ฿74.4

-13.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 NZ$131

$22.74 ฿759

228.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 NZ$4.43

$3.03 ฿101

-16.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 NZ$3.08

$1.02 ฿34.15

72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.89 NZ$50.5

$3.89 ฿130

642.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 NZ$2.81

$1.49 ฿49.77

8.05%

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

$26.4K NZ$46.1K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

-0.74%

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

$25.2K NZ$44.1K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-6.58%

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

$163 NZ$285

$102 ฿3,420

59.16%

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

$19.85 NZ$34.70

$11.33 ฿378

75.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.31 NZ$79.2

$17.40 ฿581

160.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.44 NZ$68.9

$52.1 ฿1,738

-24.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$10.50 NZ$18.36

$7.69 ฿257

36.54%

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

$697 NZ$1,218

$561 ฿18.7K

24.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K NZ$38.7K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

92.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 NZ$101

$63.0 ฿2,104

-8.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.31 NZ$30.26

$29.52 ฿986

-41.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.40 NZ$81.1

$98.0 ฿3,272

-52.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.2 NZ$89.5

$88.5 ฿2,954

-42.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 NZ$1,651

$738 ฿24.6K

27.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 NZ$1,558

$482 ฿16.1K

84.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 NZ$2,619

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-28.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 NZ$2,487

$1,226 ฿40.9K

16.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,985 NZ$8,714

$3,617 ฿120.7K

37.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,872 NZ$6,768

$2,603 ฿86.9K

48.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,019 NZ$3,529

$494 ฿16.5K

309.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

5.57

6.10%

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

Last update for Oamaru: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $944 in Oamaru and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oamaru pays 309% 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: $69.0 in Oamaru vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $274 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 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 309% higher in Oamaru, 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: $944 in Oamaru versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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 $32.00 versus $69.0 in Oamaru. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,837 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 49% less than in Oamaru. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.