Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Levin

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,005 in Levin, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Levin
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Levin Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Levin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,005

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Levin

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,005 in Levin, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Levin $2,005

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,929 in Levin, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Levin $2,929

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,853 in Levin, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Levin $3,853

Phuket is about 36% cheaper than Levin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Levin is 47% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$13.87 NZ$24.65

-67.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$66.0 NZ$117

-50.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.31 NZ$16.53

-5.37%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$2.79 NZ$4.96

1.43%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$2.44 NZ$4.33

-64.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$1.70 NZ$3.02

-71.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$7.50 NZ$13.32

-65.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.64 NZ$11.79

-44.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.90 NZ$3.37

-12.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$0.91 NZ$1.61

60.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.71 NZ$3.04

-12.28%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$7.03 NZ$12.49

-70.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$6.67 NZ$11.85

185.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.18 NZ$12.76

-54.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.48 NZ$16.85

15.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$1.74 NZ$3.09

68.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$2.17 NZ$3.86

-22.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$3.09 NZ$5.49

-27.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.80 NZ$3.20

15.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$1.95 NZ$3.46

-22.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$1.24 NZ$2.21

11.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$1.82 NZ$3.23

-41.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.59 NZ$1.05

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$18.26 NZ$32.44

-77.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$11.26 NZ$20.00

66.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$3.17 NZ$5.63

-42.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.91 NZ$5.18

-2.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.97 NZ$3.50

-26.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$119 NZ$211

-52.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.84 NZ$3.27

64.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.85 NZ$3.29

-44.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$34.18 NZ$60.7

-89.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.61 NZ$2.85

-8.70%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$28.4K NZ$50.5K

-5.86%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$24.0K NZ$42.6K

11.27%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$200 NZ$355

-51.72%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$21.91 NZ$38.92

-48.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$53.9 NZ$95.7

-68.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$39.09 NZ$69.4

71.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$10.37 NZ$18.42

-27.68%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$1,056 NZ$1,876

-54.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$13.0K NZ$23.2K

-13.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$79.4 NZ$141

-21.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$22.63 NZ$40.20

25.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$51.8 NZ$91.9

82.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$113 NZ$201

-24.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,024 NZ$1,818

-30.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$914 NZ$1,625

-46.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$1,181 NZ$2,098

63.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$1,490 NZ$2,647

-3.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$4,200 NZ$7,461

-0.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$3,177 NZ$5,644

-4.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.39

3.34%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Levin: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Levin

$914 45.6% 86.3% $424

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Levin

$257 12.8% 3.3% $8.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Levin

$275 13.7% 121% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Levin

$120 6% 1.4% $1.7

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Levin

$240 12% 97% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Levin

$60 3% 27.2% $22

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Levin

$138 6.9% 94.9% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,024 in Levin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $66 in Levin. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $257 in Levin – so Levin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇿 Levin

🕒 Local time

01:11 1:11 AM

07:11 7:11 AM

6 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

18,800

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Levin 9,490 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Levin

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 Levin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $2,005 in Levin – Phuket comes out roughly 36% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,007 in Levin. 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 $1,024 in Levin.

Public transport costs about 52% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $1,056 in Levin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Levin at $2,005. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Levin 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.