Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dargaville Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dargaville

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,967 in Dargaville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $3,019 in Dargaville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $4,071 in Dargaville.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 36% less than in Dargaville, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Dargaville is 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$14.92 NZ$25.52

-68.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,060

$70.1 NZ$120

-54.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿286

$9.32 NZ$15.95

-6.87%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.4

$3.38 NZ$5.78

-14.20%

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

$0.84 ฿27.78

$2.24 NZ$3.84

-62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.10

$1.87 NZ$3.20

-73.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.7

$6.64 NZ$11.37

-62.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$6.49 NZ$11.10

-42.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.0

$1.85 NZ$3.17

2.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.36

$2.01 NZ$3.43

-29.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.4

$1.82 NZ$3.12

-10.99%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.8

$6.04 NZ$10.32

-62.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿653

$8.49 NZ$14.53

133.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$9.86 NZ$16.87

-64.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿374

$15.13 NZ$25.87

-24.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.4

$2.81 NZ$4.81

3.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.8

$2.33 NZ$3.98

-26.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.8

$3.17 NZ$5.42

-28.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.2

$5.63 NZ$9.64

-62.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.53

$2.19 NZ$3.75

-32.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.73

$1.45 NZ$2.49

-2.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.11

$2.11 NZ$3.62

-47.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.68

$1.12 NZ$1.92

-46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$24.64 NZ$42.16

-82.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿612

$9.53 NZ$16.30

95.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.3

$3.06 NZ$5.24

-41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.6

$3.33 NZ$5.69

-10.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.9

$1.76 NZ$3.01

27.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿773

$87.5 NZ$150

-73.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.34 NZ$4.00

32.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.42

$1.96 NZ$3.34

-44.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$32.34 NZ$55.3

-88.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.97

$1.79 NZ$3.06

-20.11%

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

$27.8K ฿914.4K

$26.2K NZ$44.8K

6.10%

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

$27.0K ฿888.0K

$24.5K NZ$41.9K

10.18%

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

$105 ฿3,449

$117 NZ$200

-10.43%

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

$11.39 ฿375

$29.82 NZ$51.0

-61.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿577

$53.0 NZ$90.6

-66.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,788

$40.61 NZ$69.5

33.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿377

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿256

$10.91 NZ$18.66

-28.69%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$728 NZ$1,245

-20.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.2K

$13.6K NZ$23.3K

-14.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,094

$66.5 NZ$114

-4.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿958

$37.27 NZ$63.8

-21.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,167

$93.6 NZ$160

2.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,962

$117 NZ$201

-23.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$957 NZ$1,638

-23.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$860 NZ$1,472

-41.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.0K

$1,712 NZ$2,928

24.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.2K

$1,550 NZ$2,651

-19.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.3K

$5,118 NZ$8,754

-30.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.3K

$3,428 NZ$5,864

-23.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.39

3.34%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Dargaville: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $957 in Dargaville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $70.0 in Dargaville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $332 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 Dargaville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Dargaville differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,967 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $2,951 in Dargaville 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $957 in Dargaville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $728 in Dargaville. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Dargaville. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,967 in Dargaville, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Dargaville. 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, Phuket and Dargaville 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 55% less than in Dargaville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.