Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,857 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,803 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,748 in Dunedin.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Dunedin is 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$11.97 NZ$20.49

-61.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$71.7 NZ$123

-35.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$11.05 NZ$18.92

-20.00%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.46 NZ$5.92

-11.56%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$2.20 NZ$3.77

-66.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$2.04 NZ$3.50

-80.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$7.21 NZ$12.34

-66.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$5.86 NZ$10.04

-35.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.07 NZ$3.55

9.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.99 NZ$3.41

-9.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.88 NZ$3.22

19.68%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$5.71 NZ$9.78

-60.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.44 NZ$14.46

131.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$10.71 NZ$18.33

-65.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$13.14 NZ$22.50

-0.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.90 NZ$4.96

11.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.24 NZ$3.84

-27.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$3.44 NZ$5.88

-30.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$4.47 NZ$7.65

-54.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.98 NZ$3.39

-22.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.98 NZ$3.39

-24.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$2.54 NZ$4.35

-61.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.10 NZ$1.89

-52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$24.44 NZ$41.84

-81.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.76 NZ$14.99

109.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.58 NZ$4.41

-27.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$3.66 NZ$6.27

-26.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.20 NZ$2.05

17.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$72.9 NZ$125

-83.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$6.10 NZ$10.45

-49.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.13 NZ$1.94

-7.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$30.14 NZ$51.6

-53.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.65 NZ$2.82

-20.61%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$19.7K NZ$33.7K

41.43%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$25.2K NZ$43.2K

31.59%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$102 NZ$175

19.71%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$36.07 NZ$61.8

-62.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$54.4 NZ$93.2

-65.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$52.1 NZ$89.1

16.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$6.20 NZ$10.62

173.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$9.56 NZ$16.37

-5.13%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$584 NZ$1,000

21.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$12.0K NZ$20.5K

31.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$66.7 NZ$114

-12.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$35.81 NZ$61.3

-1.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$96.8 NZ$166

19.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$122 NZ$209

-31.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$895 NZ$1,533

-30.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$776 NZ$1,328

-42.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$1,524 NZ$2,609

33.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,307 NZ$2,239

14.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,229 NZ$3,816

15.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$2,522 NZ$4,318

-80.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.07

-24.61%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $895 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 405% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $72.0 in Dunedin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $324 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 Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Dunedin differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $1,857 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 405% lower in Dunedin. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $895 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 523% less than in Dunedin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $584 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,857 in Dunedin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Dunedin. 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 Dunedin 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 Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.