Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hastings, New Zealand

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,776 in Hastings, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Hastings
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Hastings Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Hastings

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Hastings

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,776 in Hastings, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Hastings $1,776

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,606 in Hastings, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Hastings $2,606

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,436 in Hastings, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Hastings $3,436

Phuket is about 28% cheaper than Hastings, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Hastings is 31% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$11.55 NZ$20.50

-61.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$56.3 NZ$99.9

-42.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.33 NZ$16.56

-5.57%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.29 NZ$5.83

-13.98%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$1.82 NZ$3.23

-52.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.40 NZ$2.48

-65.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$4.43 NZ$7.86

-42.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.64 NZ$10.02

-34.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.48 NZ$2.63

12.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.24 NZ$2.21

17.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.77 NZ$3.15

-15.25%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$5.38 NZ$9.55

-61.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$5.72 NZ$10.16

233.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.48 NZ$13.28

-55.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.72 NZ$20.82

-6.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.60 NZ$4.62

12.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.01 NZ$3.57

-15.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.11 NZ$5.52

-27.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$3.34 NZ$5.94

-37.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.79 NZ$3.17

-15.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.03 NZ$1.82

33.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.42 NZ$2.52

-24.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.97 NZ$1.72

-46.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$17.86 NZ$31.70

-76.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$9.50 NZ$16.86

97.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$3.86 NZ$6.85

-52.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$3.02 NZ$5.36

-5.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$2.82 NZ$5.01

-48.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$104 NZ$184

-45.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.75 NZ$6.66

-19.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$2.81 NZ$4.99

-63.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$33.06 NZ$58.7

-88.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.56 NZ$2.77

-5.77%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$28.0K NZ$49.7K

-4.41%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$22.8K NZ$40.5K

17.10%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$193 NZ$342

-49.98%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$36.75 NZ$65.2

-69.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$58.5 NZ$104

-71.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$27.61 NZ$49.01

143.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$10.35 NZ$18.38

-27.54%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$684 NZ$1,214

-30.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$23.0K NZ$40.8K

-51.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$47.65 NZ$84.6

30.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$37.98 NZ$67.4

-25.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$94.1 NZ$167

0.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$90.0 NZ$160

-4.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$826 NZ$1,466

-13.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$711 NZ$1,262

-30.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,567 NZ$2,781

23.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,165 NZ$2,068

22.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$4,213 NZ$7,479

-0.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$3,293 NZ$5,847

-7.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$1,586 NZ$2,816

-68.33%

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 Hastings: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Hastings

$711 40% 44.8% $220

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Hastings

$269 15.1% 1% $2.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Hastings

$288 16.2% 131% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Hastings

$121 6.8% 0.4% $0.5

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Hastings

$206 11.6% 69.3% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Hastings

$48 2.7% 41.3% $34

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Hastings

$133 7.5% 88.4% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $826 in Hastings. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hastings are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $56 in Hastings. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇿 Hastings

🕒 Local time

10:48 10:48 AM

16:48 4:48 PM

6 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

50,100

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 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 November 1, 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Hastings 9,590 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Hastings

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 Hastings: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hastings costs about 39% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,664 in Hastings. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $826 in Hastings.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $56 in Hastings. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Hastings at $1,776. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hastings it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hastings makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.