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: $1,671 in Palmerston North versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,685 in Palmerston North versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,699 in Palmerston North versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Palmerston North is roughly 32% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Palmerston North is 24% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.89 NZ$28.84

$4.56 ฿149

270.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.7 NZ$124

$46.63 ฿1,519

55.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.30 NZ$21.01

$8.47 ฿276

45.22%

Cappuccino

$3.49 NZ$5.96

$3.03 ฿98.6

15.18%

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

$2.39 NZ$4.08

$0.69 ฿22.45

246.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 NZ$3.52

$0.37 ฿11.92

456.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 NZ$12.65

$2.49 ฿81.0

197.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 NZ$10.91

$3.66 ฿119

74.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 NZ$3.38

$2.18 ฿71.0

-9.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 NZ$3.48

$1.90 ฿62.0

7.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 NZ$3.14

$2.20 ฿71.6

-16.36%

Eggs

$5.34 NZ$9.12

$2.22 ฿72.4

140.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.90 NZ$13.49

$19.99 ฿651

-60.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.29 NZ$15.87

$3.66 ฿119

153.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.32 NZ$21.04

$13.25 ฿432

-7.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 NZ$4.13

$3.23 ฿105

-25.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.10

$1.70 ฿55.3

6.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 NZ$4.29

$2.39 ฿78.0

5.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 NZ$5.71

$2.08 ฿67.7

60.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NZ$3.55

$1.59 ฿51.8

30.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 NZ$3.65

$1.48 ฿48.31

44.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NZ$3.47

$1.03 ฿33.54

97.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 NZ$1.60

$0.52 ฿16.83

80.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.04 NZ$34.22

$4.25 ฿138

371.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 NZ$14.51

$18.79 ฿612

-54.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 NZ$4.32

$1.76 ฿57.2

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 NZ$9.27

$2.76 ฿89.8

96.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.74 NZ$8.09

$1.36 ฿44.32

248.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.39 NZ$51.9

$11.36 ฿370

167.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 NZ$4.22

$3.14 ฿102

-21.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NZ$3.17

$1.04 ฿33.74

78.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.50 NZ$29.89

$13.77 ฿448

27.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.86

$1.34 ฿43.79

24.63%

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

$18.3K NZ$31.3K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-33.76%

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

$21.8K NZ$37.3K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-35.57%

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

$88.5 NZ$151

$124 ฿4,025

-28.38%

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

$37.44 NZ$63.9

$13.52 ฿440

176.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.74 NZ$79.8

$18.69 ฿609

150.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.29 NZ$60.3

$61.8 ฿2,013

-42.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.89 NZ$22.00

$17.25 ฿562

-25.28%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 NZ$15.08

$9.14 ฿298

-3.39%

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

$1,009 NZ$1,723

$703 ฿22.9K

43.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,204 NZ$10.6K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-60.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 NZ$97.9

$59.5 ฿1,937

-3.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.18 NZ$63.5

$35.07 ฿1,142

6.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 NZ$157

$115 ฿3,754

-20.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.0 NZ$155

$84.1 ฿2,737

8.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 NZ$1,465

$619 ฿20.1K

38.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 NZ$1,190

$433 ฿14.1K

61.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 NZ$2,612

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-25.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 NZ$2,395

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-7.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,085 NZ$3,561

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-42.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,921 NZ$3,280

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-26.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,609 NZ$4,455

$507 ฿16.5K

414.59%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $858 in Palmerston North and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 415% 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 $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

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

Palmerston North and Phuket differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,671 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Palmerston North pays 415% 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: $858 in Palmerston North versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,009 in Palmerston North versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,671 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 32% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.