Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Invercargill Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Invercargill

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $1,522 in Invercargill, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $2,447 in Invercargill, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $3,372 in Invercargill, rent included.

Phuket is about 19% cheaper than Invercargill, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Phuket sits 8% below the global median, while Invercargill is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$12.05 NZ$20.60

-61.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$72.2 NZ$123

-35.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.32 NZ$14.23

6.25%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.40 NZ$5.81

-11.76%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.75 NZ$3.00

-57.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.49 NZ$2.55

-75.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$6.06 NZ$10.35

-59.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.77 NZ$8.15

-24.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.51 NZ$2.59

49.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.80 NZ$3.09

2.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.73 NZ$2.96

29.48%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$5.48 NZ$9.38

-57.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.46 NZ$14.46

132.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$9.27 NZ$15.85

-60.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$13.18 NZ$22.54

-0.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.84 NZ$4.86

19.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.26 NZ$3.87

-27.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.55 NZ$4.36

-5.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$3.77 NZ$6.44

-46.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.90 NZ$3.26

-17.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.78 NZ$3.04

-15.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.44 NZ$4.18

-58.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.11 NZ$1.90

-55.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$22.32 NZ$38.16

-80.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$9.02 NZ$15.42

109.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$4.07 NZ$6.97

-56.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.64 NZ$6.22

-24.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.53 NZ$2.62

-8.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$64.5 NZ$110

-82.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.45 NZ$4.19

27.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.93 NZ$3.31

-48.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$30.05 NZ$51.4

-53.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.63 NZ$2.79

-17.18%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$25.9K NZ$44.3K

4.86%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.1K NZ$34.4K

63.85%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$102 NZ$175

22.02%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$35.57 NZ$60.8

-61.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$50.0 NZ$85.5

-62.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$29.52 NZ$50.5

108.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$12.18 NZ$20.82

38.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$9.55 NZ$16.33

-3.77%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$594 NZ$1,016

17.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$11.8K NZ$20.3K

31.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$66.0 NZ$113

-12.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$34.63 NZ$59.2

1.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$83.1 NZ$142

36.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$84.5 NZ$145

2.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$633 NZ$1,083

-2.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$582 NZ$995

-23.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$872 NZ$1,491

134.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,047 NZ$1,791

42.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$5,021 NZ$8,586

-24.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$3,531 NZ$6,038

-24.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$3,099 NZ$5,299

-83.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.87

-22.42%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Invercargill: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $633 in Invercargill. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 492% higher in Invercargill, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $72.0 in Invercargill. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $308 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Invercargill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Invercargill costs about 24% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,847 per month in Phuket and $2,282 in Invercargill. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Invercargill, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $72.0 in Invercargill. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Invercargill at $1,522. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Invercargill it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,232 versus $1,522 in Invercargill. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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