Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hamilton Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hamilton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,869 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,967 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $4,066 in Hamilton.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 34% less than in Hamilton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Hamilton is 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$13.89 NZ$23.61

-66.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$85.0 NZ$145

-44.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$8.86 NZ$15.07

-0.23%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$3.69 NZ$6.27

-18.70%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$2.41 NZ$4.10

-69.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$2.88 NZ$4.90

-87.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$6.73 NZ$11.43

-63.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$5.99 NZ$10.19

-39.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$1.60 NZ$2.71

41.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$1.30 NZ$2.22

41.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$1.94 NZ$3.29

15.46%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$6.04 NZ$10.27

-61.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$5.65 NZ$9.61

248.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$8.19 NZ$13.92

-55.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$11.21 NZ$19.05

16.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$2.68 NZ$4.56

26.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$2.96 NZ$5.03

-44.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$3.05 NZ$5.18

-20.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$6.49 NZ$11.03

-68.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$2.26 NZ$3.84

-30.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$1.91 NZ$3.24

-21.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$2.72 NZ$4.62

-62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$1.03 NZ$1.76

-52.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$25.68 NZ$43.66

-82.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$11.20 NZ$19.04

68.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$3.46 NZ$5.87

-48.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$4.42 NZ$7.51

-37.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

$1.63 NZ$2.77

-14.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

$47.48 NZ$80.7

-75.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$4.25 NZ$7.23

-26.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$1.98 NZ$3.37

-49.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$42.54 NZ$72.3

-66.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$1.72 NZ$2.92

-21.51%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$23.4K NZ$39.8K

16.23%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.6K NZ$38.4K

45.76%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$93.9 NZ$160

33.07%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$39.03 NZ$66.4

-65.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$54.2 NZ$92.1

-65.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

$32.44 NZ$55.2

89.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$16.44 NZ$27.95

2.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$13.38 NZ$22.74

-31.32%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$835 NZ$1,419

-16.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$17.9K NZ$30.5K

-13.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$63.0 NZ$107

-8.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$41.00 NZ$69.7

-14.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$88.2 NZ$150

28.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$114 NZ$194

-24.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$958 NZ$1,629

-35.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$878 NZ$1,492

-49.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$1,249 NZ$2,123

63.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$1,615 NZ$2,746

-7.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

$5,675 NZ$9,647

-33.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

$4,916 NZ$8,358

-46.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

$2,673 NZ$4,545

-80.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.83

-21.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $958 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 410% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $85.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $311 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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Hamilton earns 410% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $958 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $85.0 in Hamilton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,869 in Hamilton – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,869 in Hamilton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Hamilton 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 52% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.