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 $1,845 in Fox Glacier.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,869 in Fox Glacier.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,894 in Fox Glacier.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Fox Glacier is 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$15.04 NZ$25.71

-69.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$79.6 NZ$136

-41.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.56 NZ$16.34

-7.53%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.50 NZ$5.99

-14.29%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$2.34 NZ$4.01

-68.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.09 NZ$3.57

-82.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$7.34 NZ$12.55

-66.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$6.22 NZ$10.63

-41.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.80 NZ$3.07

25.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.99 NZ$3.41

-7.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.82 NZ$3.11

23.08%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$5.98 NZ$10.22

-61.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.29 NZ$14.18

137.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$9.35 NZ$15.98

-60.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$12.90 NZ$22.06

1.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.70 NZ$4.61

25.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.17 NZ$3.71

-24.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.00 NZ$5.12

-19.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.49 NZ$7.68

-54.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.05 NZ$3.51

-23.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.95 NZ$3.33

-23.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.25 NZ$3.85

-54.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.15 NZ$1.96

-57.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$23.85 NZ$40.78

-81.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.36 NZ$17.72

82.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.52 NZ$4.31

-29.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.73 NZ$6.38

-26.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$2.10 NZ$3.59

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$63.6 NZ$109

-81.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.78 NZ$4.76

12.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.85 NZ$3.16

-45.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$35.72 NZ$61.1

-60.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.73 NZ$2.95

-21.97%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$28.3K NZ$48.5K

-4.06%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.5K NZ$38.4K

46.64%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$145 NZ$249

-14.07%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$35.85 NZ$61.3

-62.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$51.7 NZ$88.4

-64.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$36.98 NZ$63.2

66.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$12.09 NZ$20.67

39.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$10.83 NZ$18.52

-15.14%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$743 NZ$1,270

-5.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$12.2K NZ$20.8K

28.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$69.0 NZ$118

-16.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$37.85 NZ$64.7

-6.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$93.9 NZ$161

20.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$117 NZ$200

-26.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$982 NZ$1,679

-37.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$791 NZ$1,352

-43.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,570 NZ$2,684

30.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,452 NZ$2,483

2.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$5,212 NZ$8,913

-27.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$3,760 NZ$6,429

-29.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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 27, 2026

Last update for Fox Glacier: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $982 in Fox Glacier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $80.0 in Fox Glacier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $314 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 50% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,845 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 $2,767 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: $616 in Phuket versus $982 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 454% less than in Fox Glacier. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $743 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 $1,845 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 50% less than in Fox Glacier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.