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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,892 in Dargaville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $2,929 in Dargaville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $3,966 in Dargaville.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Dargaville is 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿151

$15.10 NZ$25.83

-69.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,505

$78.9 NZ$135

-41.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿281

$9.60 NZ$16.41

-9.58%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.5

$3.44 NZ$5.88

-14.24%

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

$0.70 ฿22.65

$2.33 NZ$3.99

-69.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.77

$2.08 NZ$3.56

-81.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿82.1

$7.11 NZ$12.17

-64.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$6.22 NZ$10.63

-39.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.8

$1.89 NZ$3.22

17.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿58.2

$1.92 NZ$3.28

-6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.8

$1.85 NZ$3.16

18.38%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.9

$6.24 NZ$10.67

-62.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿627

$8.12 NZ$13.89

138.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿122

$9.79 NZ$16.75

-61.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿428

$12.69 NZ$21.70

4.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿108

$2.77 NZ$4.74

20.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.4

$2.20 NZ$3.75

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿74.2

$3.06 NZ$5.24

-25.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.4

$4.52 NZ$7.73

-55.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.51

$2.00 NZ$3.43

-23.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿49.04

$1.89 NZ$3.24

-20.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.30

$2.29 NZ$3.92

-55.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.66

$1.15 NZ$1.97

-55.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿143

$24.50 NZ$41.89

-82.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿629

$10.89 NZ$18.62

78.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.3

$2.57 NZ$4.40

-29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.8

$3.56 NZ$6.08

-24.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.37

$2.14 NZ$3.66

-33.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿379

$65.2 NZ$111

-82.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿98.4

$2.73 NZ$4.67

11.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.56

$1.84 NZ$3.15

-43.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿443

$35.55 NZ$60.8

-61.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿42.08

$1.67 NZ$2.86

-22.16%

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

$27.9K ฿903.9K

$28.3K NZ$48.3K

-1.31%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$21.9K NZ$37.4K

50.91%

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

$123 ฿3,984

$143 NZ$244

-13.75%

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

$13.82 ฿448

$36.09 NZ$61.7

-61.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿611

$52.1 NZ$89.1

-63.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,981

$36.59 NZ$62.6

67.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿545

$11.93 NZ$20.39

40.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿287

$10.66 NZ$18.23

-16.79%

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

$696 ฿22.6K

$734 NZ$1,255

-5.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿520.3K

$12.0K NZ$20.6K

33.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,921

$68.6 NZ$117

-13.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,129

$37.35 NZ$63.9

-6.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,667

$94.0 NZ$161

20.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,756

$116 NZ$199

-26.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.9K

$972 NZ$1,661

-36.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.5K

$770 NZ$1,317

-41.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.6K

$1,577 NZ$2,697

32.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.5K

$1,421 NZ$2,431

5.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿121.0K

$4,973 NZ$8,504

-24.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿86.2K

$3,049 NZ$5,213

-12.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.74

-20.92%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Dargaville: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $972 in Dargaville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $79 in Dargaville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $318 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 49% in total monthly costs ($1,270 vs $1,892 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $2,839 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: $615 in Phuket versus $972 in Dargaville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $734 in Dargaville. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Dargaville. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,892 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 49% less than in Dargaville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.