Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cromwell Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cromwell

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,831 in Cromwell.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $2,780 in Cromwell.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $3,728 in Cromwell.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 33% less than in Cromwell, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Cromwell is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$11.94 NZ$20.74

-62.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$72.1 NZ$125

-35.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$10.97 NZ$19.05

-22.61%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$3.46 NZ$6.01

-10.98%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$2.17 NZ$3.78

-68.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$2.03 NZ$3.52

-82.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$7.30 NZ$12.67

-66.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.95 NZ$10.34

-38.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$2.08 NZ$3.60

5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$1.95 NZ$3.39

-7.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.85 NZ$3.21

20.54%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$5.61 NZ$9.75

-60.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$8.11 NZ$14.10

141.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$10.82 NZ$18.79

-65.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$13.05 NZ$22.67

3.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$2.93 NZ$5.09

14.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$2.22 NZ$3.86

-27.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.33 NZ$5.79

-27.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$4.63 NZ$8.04

-57.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$2.00 NZ$3.47

-23.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$1.98 NZ$3.44

-26.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$2.44 NZ$4.23

-58.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$1.11 NZ$1.93

-56.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$24.42 NZ$42.42

-82.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$8.78 NZ$15.25

117.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$2.53 NZ$4.39

-27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$3.62 NZ$6.30

-24.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$2.15 NZ$3.73

-33.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$63.2 NZ$110

-81.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.75 NZ$4.77

9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$1.10 NZ$1.92

-4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$29.96 NZ$52.1

-53.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.71 NZ$2.97

-24.56%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$19.6K NZ$34.0K

43.22%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$25.3K NZ$43.9K

32.47%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$102 NZ$178

19.25%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$36.15 NZ$62.8

-61.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$55.0 NZ$95.6

-65.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$37.38 NZ$64.9

63.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$11.94 NZ$20.74

41.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$9.26 NZ$16.09

-4.00%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$580 NZ$1,007

19.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$13.1K NZ$22.7K

23.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$65.2 NZ$113

-11.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$35.66 NZ$62.0

-0.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$93.4 NZ$162

21.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$123 NZ$213

-32.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$965 NZ$1,676

-37.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$789 NZ$1,371

-43.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$1,604 NZ$2,786

26.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$1,393 NZ$2,419

7.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$4,410 NZ$7,661

-18.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$3,329 NZ$5,783

-22.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$3,065 NZ$5,324

-83.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.6

-19.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Cromwell: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $965 in Cromwell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cromwell pays 507% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $72.0 in Cromwell for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $323 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

Phuket vs Cromwell: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 507% lower in Cromwell. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Phuket versus $965 in Cromwell. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Cromwell. 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 $47.00 versus $72.0 in Cromwell. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,831 in Cromwell, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cromwell. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cromwell, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cromwell 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 50% less than in Cromwell. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.