Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fox Glacier Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fox Glacier

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,934 in Fox Glacier.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,930 in Fox Glacier.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,927 in Fox Glacier.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Fox Glacier is 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$15.70 NZ$27.45

-71.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$69.4 NZ$121

-53.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$10.48 NZ$18.33

-14.79%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.36 NZ$5.87

-13.69%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.09 NZ$3.66

-57.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.82 NZ$3.19

-73.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$7.08 NZ$12.37

-66.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$5.49 NZ$9.59

-32.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.55 NZ$2.71

20.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.97 NZ$3.44

-25.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.99 NZ$3.48

-22.11%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$5.10 NZ$8.91

-58.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.85 NZ$13.73

149.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.03 NZ$15.78

-62.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$13.46 NZ$23.52

-15.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.70 NZ$4.72

10.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.10 NZ$3.66

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$3.31 NZ$5.79

-33.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$5.50 NZ$9.61

-60.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.26 NZ$3.95

-32.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.60 NZ$2.80

-16.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$2.21 NZ$3.87

-48.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.24 NZ$2.17

-55.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$26.05 NZ$45.54

-83.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.18 NZ$14.31

133.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.71 NZ$4.73

-34.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.77 NZ$4.84

0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.66 NZ$2.90

34.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$72.4 NZ$127

-68.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.52 NZ$4.40

20.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.66 NZ$2.91

-38.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$29.88 NZ$52.2

-86.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.56 NZ$2.74

-4.49%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$27.5K NZ$48.0K

-3.27%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$26.9K NZ$47.1K

0.40%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$113 NZ$198

-9.45%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$28.39 NZ$49.62

-60.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$48.94 NZ$85.6

-64.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$45.66 NZ$79.8

14.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$10.10 NZ$17.66

-23.86%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$615 NZ$1,075

-8.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$12.9K NZ$22.5K

-10.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$56.5 NZ$98.8

11.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$32.83 NZ$57.4

-10.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$92.0 NZ$161

6.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$96.6 NZ$169

-8.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$842 NZ$1,472

-12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$763 NZ$1,335

-36.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,493 NZ$2,610

41.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,329 NZ$2,323

-7.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$4,683 NZ$8,187

-22.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$3,681 NZ$6,436

-29.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.4

3.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Fox Glacier: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $842 in Fox Glacier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $69.0 in Fox Glacier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $309 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 Fox Glacier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Fox Glacier differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,934 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $2,900 in Fox Glacier 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: $738 in Phuket versus $842 in Fox Glacier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 218% less than in Fox Glacier. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $615 in Fox Glacier. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,934 in Fox Glacier, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Fox Glacier. 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 Fox Glacier 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 57% less than in Fox Glacier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.