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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,689 in Palmerston North versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,733 in Palmerston North versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,777 in Palmerston North versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Palmerston North is roughly 37% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Palmerston North is 26% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.90 NZ$28.90

$4.63 ฿151

265.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.5 NZ$124

$46.84 ฿1,532

54.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 NZ$20.45

$8.84 ฿289

35.29%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NZ$5.98

$3.00 ฿98.0

16.67%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.07

$0.74 ฿24.25

221.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$0.37 ฿11.95

459.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 NZ$12.12

$2.44 ฿79.8

190.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 NZ$10.97

$3.61 ฿118

77.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 NZ$3.41

$2.26 ฿73.9

-11.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 NZ$3.46

$1.84 ฿60.1

9.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.14

$2.24 ฿73.4

-18.30%

Eggs

$5.48 NZ$9.36

$2.32 ฿75.7

136.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 NZ$13.78

$19.67 ฿643

-59.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 NZ$15.26

$3.65 ฿119

144.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.59 NZ$21.52

$13.10 ฿428

-3.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 NZ$4.33

$3.39 ฿111

-25.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.10

$1.64 ฿53.7

10.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 NZ$4.38

$2.41 ฿79.0

6.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 NZ$5.91

$2.03 ฿66.4

70.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.51

$1.56 ฿50.9

32.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.67

$1.50 ฿48.94

43.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 NZ$3.66

$1.02 ฿33.50

109.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 NZ$1.69

$0.49 ฿16.00

102.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.62 NZ$35.26

$4.45 ฿145

363.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 NZ$15.33

$18.88 ฿617

-52.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 NZ$4.26

$1.78 ฿58.1

39.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 NZ$9.31

$2.75 ฿90.1

97.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.74 NZ$8.11

$1.40 ฿45.81

238.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.79 NZ$51.0

$11.48 ฿376

159.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 NZ$4.09

$3.12 ฿102

-23.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.15

$1.00 ฿32.67

84.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.02 NZ$29.11

$14.09 ฿461

20.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.95

$1.35 ฿44.19

28.15%

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

$18.9K NZ$32.4K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-30.37%

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

$21.7K NZ$37.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-34.03%

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

$88.7 NZ$152

$125 ฿4,087

-29.03%

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

$36.94 NZ$63.2

$13.57 ฿444

172.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.19 NZ$82.4

$18.52 ฿606

160.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.58 NZ$60.9

$61.5 ฿2,010

-42.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.89 NZ$22.05

$16.84 ฿551

-23.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 NZ$15.12

$9.19 ฿300

-3.81%

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

$1,020 NZ$1,745

$698 ฿22.8K

46.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,131 NZ$10.5K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-60.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 NZ$96.6

$57.8 ฿1,889

-2.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.01 NZ$65.0

$35.24 ฿1,152

7.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 NZ$153

$113 ฿3,699

-20.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.7 NZ$157

$86.4 ฿2,825

6.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 NZ$1,416

$616 ฿20.1K

34.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 NZ$1,183

$446 ฿14.6K

55.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 NZ$2,679

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-23.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 NZ$2,344

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-8.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,185 NZ$3,736

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-42.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,927 NZ$3,295

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-27.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,588 NZ$4,425

$524 ฿17.1K

394.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

5.33

25.52%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $828 in Palmerston North and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 394% 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 Palmerston North vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $292 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

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

Palmerston North and Phuket differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,689 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Palmerston North pays 394% 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: $828 in Palmerston North versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,020 in Palmerston North versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Palmerston North. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,689 in Palmerston North, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Palmerston North. 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, Palmerston North 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 37% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.