Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Alofi

For one person, living is cheaper in Alofi: $466 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Alofi

🇳🇺 Niue

$466

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Alofi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $466 in Alofi.

Phuket $1,294
Alofi $466

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $845 in Alofi.

Phuket $2,204
Alofi $845

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,224 in Alofi.

Phuket $3,115
Alofi $1,224

Living in Phuket is roughly 177% more expensive than in Alofi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Alofi 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$16.74 NZ$29.91

-73.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,080

$34.59 NZ$61.8

-6.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿291

$14.02 NZ$25.04

-37.95%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.1

$2.79 NZ$4.98

-2.51%

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

$0.93 ฿31.11

$2.81 NZ$5.02

-66.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.70

$2.80 NZ$5.00

-82.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.6

$4.67 NZ$8.34

-45.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.34 NZ$5.98

8.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.2

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$2.32 NZ$4.15

-37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.2

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.6

$2.89 NZ$5.17

-24.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿638

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.4

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.77

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$17.00 NZ$30.37

-73.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿610

$14.01 NZ$25.04

30.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,835

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.74

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

$26.9K ฿898.9K

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

$26.3K ฿881.0K

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

$97.8 ฿3,271

$57.4 NZ$103

70.43%

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

$11.29 ฿378

$11.17 NZ$19.95

1.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿575

$55.9 NZ$99.9

-69.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,285

$17.17 NZ$30.68

297.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

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

$530 ฿17.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿628.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,062

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿945

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,210

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,903

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.2K

$261 NZ$466

648.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.7K

$230 NZ$411

506.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Alofi: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Alofi

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Alofi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Alofi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Alofi

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Alofi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Alofi

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Alofi

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $35 in Alofi. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $63, with Alofi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇺 Alofi

🕒 Local time

10:58 10:58 AM

16:58 4:58 PM

18 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

624 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 NZD = 0.56 USD

1 NZD = 0.499 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 NZD (1 NZD = 0.56 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 NZD (1 NZD = 0.499 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Alofi 10,470 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Alofi

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

Phuket vs Alofi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alofi is about 64% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $699 in Alofi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 325% higher in Phuket. 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 $35 in Alofi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $466 in Alofi versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alofi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Alofi 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, Phuket and Alofi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.