Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oamaru and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,809 in Oamaru, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Oamaru
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Oamaru Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Oamaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,809

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oamaru and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Oamaru and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,809 in Oamaru versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Oamaru $1,809
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,753 in Oamaru versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Oamaru $2,753
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,698 in Oamaru versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Oamaru $3,698
Phuket $3,154

Living in Oamaru is roughly 42% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 NZ$25.67

$4.47 ฿151

223.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 NZ$121

$32.41 ฿1,093

110.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 NZ$16.33

$8.81 ฿297

4.43%

Cappuccino

$3.35 NZ$5.94

$2.83 ฿95.4

18.37%

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

$2.30 NZ$4.09

$0.87 ฿29.41

164.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 NZ$3.15

$0.49 ฿16.65

263.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 NZ$11.79

$2.56 ฿86.3

159.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 NZ$12.37

$3.68 ฿124

89.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$3.08

$1.66 ฿55.9

4.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 NZ$2.34

$1.46 ฿49.31

-9.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 NZ$2.60

$1.50 ฿50.5

-2.00%

Eggs

$5.53 NZ$9.82

$2.09 ฿70.5

164.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 NZ$13.36

$19.07 ฿643

-60.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 NZ$15.72

$3.30 ฿111

168.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 NZ$24.21

$10.91 ฿368

25.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 NZ$4.25

$2.93 ฿98.9

-18.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 NZ$3.73

$1.69 ฿57.0

24.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 NZ$4.70

$2.25 ฿75.8

17.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$5.17

$2.08 ฿70.0

39.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.67

$1.51 ฿51.0

-0.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 NZ$2.47

$1.38 ฿46.52

0.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 NZ$3.68

$1.07 ฿35.96

93.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 NZ$1.16

$0.52 ฿17.51

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.01 NZ$42.63

$4.20 ฿142

471.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.66 NZ$10.05

$18.79 ฿634

-69.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 NZ$6.08

$1.82 ฿61.5

87.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 NZ$7.89

$2.84 ฿95.8

56.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 NZ$3.63

$1.45 ฿48.98

41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 NZ$191

$56.7 ฿1,912

89.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 NZ$4.58

$3.02 ฿102

-14.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 NZ$3.06

$1.02 ฿34.33

68.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.67 NZ$50.9

$3.69 ฿125

676.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 NZ$2.88

$1.47 ฿49.76

10.20%

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

$28.8K NZ$51.2K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

7.68%

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

$23.7K NZ$42.1K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-11.07%

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

$157 NZ$279

$96.4 ฿3,251

63.03%

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

$20.20 NZ$35.86

$11.26 ฿380

79.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.97 NZ$79.8

$16.85 ฿568

166.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.17 NZ$69.6

$67.2 ฿2,268

-41.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$10.03 NZ$17.81

$7.50 ฿253

33.73%

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

$677 NZ$1,202

$476 ฿16.1K

42.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K NZ$39.7K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

98.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 NZ$102

$62.4 ฿2,104

-7.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.36 NZ$30.83

$28.41 ฿958

-38.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.93 NZ$81.6

$94.3 ฿3,181

-51.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.0 NZ$90.6

$85.8 ฿2,895

-40.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NZ$1,850

$716 ฿24.2K

45.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$799 NZ$1,419

$491 ฿16.6K

62.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 NZ$2,820

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-17.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 NZ$2,531

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-0.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,866 NZ$8,638

$4,175 ฿140.9K

16.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,783 NZ$6,716

$3,045 ฿102.7K

24.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,950 NZ$3,462

$502 ฿16.9K

288.25%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Oamaru

$799 44.2%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 38.6% $308

Groceries & Markets

Oamaru

$277 15.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 3.8% $11

Eating Out

Oamaru

$247 13.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 50.7% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oamaru

$222 12.3%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 44% $98

Getting Around

Oamaru

$127 7%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 44.4% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Oamaru

$77 4.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 57.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Oamaru

$59 3.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 38.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,042 in Oamaru and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oamaru pays about 3.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Oamaru vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Oamaru

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:14 12:14 AM

18:14 6:14 PM

6 h behind Oamaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,850

79,308

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Oamaru Phuket 9,290 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Oamaru
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 29% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Oamaru is about 3.9 times higher, 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: $1,042 in Oamaru versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 versus $68 in Oamaru. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,809 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.

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, Oamaru and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Oamaru. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.