Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Blenheim

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,414 in Blenheim, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Blenheim despite lower rent and utilities.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Blenheim
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Blenheim Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Blenheim

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,414

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Blenheim

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 Blenheim actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,414 in Blenheim, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Blenheim $1,414

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,289 in Blenheim, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Blenheim $2,289

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,163 in Blenheim, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Blenheim $3,163

Phuket is about 10% cheaper than Blenheim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Blenheim is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$14.11 NZ$25.05

-68.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$67.5 NZ$120

-52.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.08 NZ$14.35

9.03%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.33 NZ$5.91

-15.02%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.21 NZ$3.92

-60.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.85 NZ$3.29

-73.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$5.85 NZ$10.38

-56.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.71 NZ$11.91

-45.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.64 NZ$2.91

1.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.38 NZ$2.45

5.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.06 NZ$1.88

41.51%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$5.47 NZ$9.71

-61.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$6.98 NZ$12.38

173.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.01 NZ$8.90

-34.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.35 NZ$18.38

5.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.58 NZ$4.58

13.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.72 NZ$3.06

-1.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.80 NZ$4.96

-19.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$3.96 NZ$7.04

-47.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.57 NZ$2.79

-3.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.40 NZ$2.48

-1.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.72 NZ$3.06

-37.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.31 NZ$2.33

-60.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$23.72 NZ$42.11

-82.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.18 NZ$14.51

129.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$3.39 NZ$6.02

-46.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$4.33 NZ$7.68

-34.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$2.05 NZ$3.64

-29.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$103 NZ$182

-44.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.59 NZ$4.61

16.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.17 NZ$2.07

-12.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$27.98 NZ$49.68

-86.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.57 NZ$2.78

-6.37%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$10.7K NZ$18.9K

151.22%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$17.9K NZ$31.7K

49.38%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$45.60 NZ$81.0

111.29%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$22.52 NZ$39.98

-50.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$45.55 NZ$80.9

-63.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$22.87 NZ$40.61

193.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$4.48 NZ$7.95

139.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.00 NZ$8.87

50.00%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$447 NZ$793

6.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$21.8K NZ$38.7K

-48.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$20.09 NZ$35.66

210.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$11.33 NZ$20.12

150.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$99.6 NZ$177

-5.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$123 NZ$219

-30.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$679 NZ$1,205

5.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$538 NZ$956

-8.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,223 NZ$2,171

57.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,053 NZ$1,869

35.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$4,659 NZ$8,271

-10.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$3,339 NZ$5,927

-8.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$2,431 NZ$4,316

-79.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.91

-5.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Blenheim: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Blenheim

$538 38.1% 9.7% $47

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Blenheim

$260 18.4% 2.5% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Blenheim

$114 8% 8.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Blenheim

$114 8.1% 6.1% $7.4

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Blenheim

$236 16.7% 93.9% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Blenheim

$33 2.3% 60% $49

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Blenheim

$119 8.4% 69.2% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $679 in Blenheim. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Blenheim are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $68 in Blenheim. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $260 in Blenheim – so Blenheim wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇿 Blenheim

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

22:51 10:51 PM

6 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

28,800

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

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

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Blenheim 9,410 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Blenheim

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 Blenheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Blenheim is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,122 in Blenheim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $716 in Phuket and $679 in Blenheim. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,414 in Blenheim. That makes Phuket about 10% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $447 in Blenheim. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,414 in Blenheim. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Blenheim makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.