Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gore

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,982 in Gore, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Gore, New Zealand
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Gore
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$1,982
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Gore

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Gore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,982 in Gore.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Gore $1,982

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,018 in Gore.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Gore $3,018

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,054 in Gore.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Gore $4,054

Living in Phuket costs roughly 36% less than in Gore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Gore is 46% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Gore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$14.13 NZ$25.09
-68.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$66.5 NZ$118
-51.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$7.90 NZ$14.02
11.52%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$3.07 NZ$5.45
-7.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$2.29 NZ$4.07
-62.01%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$1.56 NZ$2.76
-68.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$5.69 NZ$10.10
-55.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$5.60 NZ$9.94
-34.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Gore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.81 NZ$3.21
-8.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$2.25 NZ$3.99
-35.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.54 NZ$2.74
-2.60%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$6.30 NZ$11.18
-66.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$9.29 NZ$16.49
105.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$8.46 NZ$15.03
-60.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$14.91 NZ$26.48
-26.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$2.48 NZ$4.40
18.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$2.43 NZ$4.32
-30.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.69 NZ$4.78
-16.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$5.43 NZ$9.65
-61.69%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.85 NZ$3.28
-18.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$1.70 NZ$3.02
-18.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$2.04 NZ$3.62
-47.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$1.22 NZ$2.17
-57.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$23.64 NZ$41.97
-82.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$10.29 NZ$18.27
82.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$2.83 NZ$5.02
-35.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$3.14 NZ$5.58
-9.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Gore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
$2.23 NZ$3.96
-34.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$111 NZ$196
-48.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.32 NZ$4.12
30.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$1.74 NZ$3.09
-41.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$33.38 NZ$59.3
-88.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.66 NZ$2.95
-11.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$31.0K NZ$55.1K
-13.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$23.2K NZ$41.2K
15.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Gore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$120 NZ$212
-19.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$24.94 NZ$44.27
-54.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$54.5 NZ$96.7
-69.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Gore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$35.12 NZ$62.4
91.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$9.82 NZ$17.43
-23.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Gore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$671 NZ$1,191
-29.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$16.8K NZ$29.9K
-33.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Gore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$66.4 NZ$118
-6.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$38.76 NZ$68.8
-26.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$91.9 NZ$163
2.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$118 NZ$210
-27.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Gore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$1,142 NZ$2,027
-37.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$903 NZ$1,603
-45.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$1,815 NZ$3,222
6.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$1,592 NZ$2,827
-10.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$4,405 NZ$7,820
-5.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$3,437 NZ$6,102
-11.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Gore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.83
-4.46%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gore: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Gore
$903 83.9% $412
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Gore
$325 21.9% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Gore
$199 59.9% $75
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Gore
$142 16.4% $20
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Gore
$229 87.8% $107
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Gore
$55 33.4% $27
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Gore
$131 84.9% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,142 in Gore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $67 in Gore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $325 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇳🇿 Gore
🕒 Local time
04:32 4:32 AM
10:32 10:32 AM
6 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
3,100
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Gore 9,180 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Gore

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Gore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Gore?
Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Gore. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket and in Gore?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $2,973 in Gore 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket compared to Gore?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,142 in Gore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Phuket and in Gore?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $671 in Gore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Phuket or in Gore?
Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Gore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or in Gore?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,982 in Gore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Gore. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Phuket or Gore?
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.
How safe is Phuket compared to Gore?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Gore are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Gore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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