Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hamilton, New Zealand

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,917 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,917

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Hamilton

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 Hamilton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,917 in Hamilton.

Phuket $1,278
Hamilton $1,917

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,828 in Hamilton.

Phuket $2,216
Hamilton $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,739 in Hamilton.

Phuket $3,154
Hamilton $3,739

Living in Phuket costs roughly 33% less than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Hamilton is 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$12.20 NZ$21.74

-63.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$74.6 NZ$133

-56.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.34 NZ$14.86

5.64%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$3.49 NZ$6.22

-18.91%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$2.31 NZ$4.12

-62.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$2.50 NZ$4.46

-80.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$6.08 NZ$10.83

-57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.61 NZ$10.00

-34.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.46 NZ$2.60

13.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.25 NZ$2.23

16.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.94 NZ$3.45

-22.68%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$5.52 NZ$9.83

-62.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$5.78 NZ$10.30

229.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.18 NZ$12.80

-54.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.70 NZ$20.85

-6.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.71 NZ$4.82

8.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$2.31 NZ$4.12

-26.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.24 NZ$5.78

-30.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$6.21 NZ$11.06

-66.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.05 NZ$3.65

-26.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.41 NZ$2.52

-2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$2.49 NZ$4.43

-57.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.98 NZ$1.75

-46.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$26.19 NZ$46.68

-83.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.72 NZ$19.11

75.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$4.02 NZ$7.17

-54.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$4.14 NZ$7.38

-31.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$2.66 NZ$4.74

-45.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$52.7 NZ$93.8

7.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.70 NZ$6.59

-18.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.67 NZ$2.97

-11.98%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$28.2K NZ$50.3K

-5.10%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$22.4K NZ$39.8K

19.41%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$58.3 NZ$104

65.38%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$36.48 NZ$65.0

-69.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$55.5 NZ$98.9

-69.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$25.73 NZ$45.86

161.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$28.98 NZ$51.6

-62.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$13.93 NZ$24.83

-46.16%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$670 NZ$1,195

-29.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$22.5K NZ$40.0K

-49.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$63.7 NZ$113

-2.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$38.93 NZ$69.4

-27.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$94.7 NZ$169

-0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$107 NZ$190

-19.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,090 NZ$1,942

-34.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$987 NZ$1,759

-50.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$1,636 NZ$2,915

17.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,476 NZ$2,631

-3.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$4,019 NZ$7,163

3.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$4,525 NZ$8,064

-32.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$2,678 NZ$4,773

-81.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.83

-18.45%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Hamilton

$987 51.5% 101% $496

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Hamilton

$297 15.5% 11.6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Hamilton

$150 7.8% 20.7% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Hamilton

$137 7.1% 12.2% $15

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Hamilton

$225 11.8% 85.2% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Hamilton

$54 2.8% 34.8% $29

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Hamilton

$67 * 3.5% 5.1% $3.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,090 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays about 5.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $75 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $297 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇿 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

00:42 12:42 AM

06:42 6:42 AM

6 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

169,500

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Hamilton 9,410 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Hamilton

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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $1,090 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 $32 versus $75 in Hamilton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,917 in Hamilton – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,917 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.

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 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Hamilton on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.