Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Manukau

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,914 in Manukau, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Manukau
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Manukau Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Manukau

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,914

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Manukau

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,914 in Manukau, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Manukau $1,914

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,853 in Manukau, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Manukau $2,853

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,792 in Manukau, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Manukau $3,792

Phuket is about 33% cheaper than Manukau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Manukau is 41% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$12.06 NZ$21.42

-62.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$68.0 NZ$121

-52.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.28 NZ$14.71

6.40%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.48 NZ$6.19

-18.68%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.04 NZ$3.63

-57.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.74 NZ$3.08

-71.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$6.22 NZ$11.05

-58.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.62 NZ$9.98

-34.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.44 NZ$2.56

15.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.30 NZ$2.31

12.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.90 NZ$3.37

-21.05%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$5.26 NZ$9.34

-60.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$5.52 NZ$9.80

245.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.46 NZ$13.24

-55.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.96 NZ$21.23

-8.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.57 NZ$4.55

14.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.16 NZ$3.84

-21.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.97 NZ$5.27

-24.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$5.72 NZ$10.16

-63.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.09 NZ$3.70

-27.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.43 NZ$2.55

-3.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$2.01 NZ$3.57

-46.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.91 NZ$1.62

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$25.51 NZ$45.30

-83.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.51 NZ$18.65

78.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.84 NZ$5.04

-35.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$3.32 NZ$5.90

-14.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$1.85 NZ$3.29

-21.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$111 NZ$197

-49.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.28 NZ$4.05

32.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.94 NZ$3.45

-47.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$32.50 NZ$57.7

-88.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.72 NZ$3.06

-14.53%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$27.3K NZ$48.4K

-1.81%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$21.8K NZ$38.8K

22.21%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$58.0 NZ$103

66.15%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$26.67 NZ$47.35

-57.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$50.8 NZ$90.3

-66.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$43.35 NZ$77.0

55.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$12.35 NZ$21.92

-39.27%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$687 NZ$1,220

-30.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$19.5K NZ$34.5K

-42.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$62.3 NZ$111

0.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$38.79 NZ$68.9

-26.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$92.4 NZ$164

2.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$112 NZ$198

-23.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,036 NZ$1,840

-30.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$940 NZ$1,669

-47.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,640 NZ$2,912

17.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,494 NZ$2,653

-4.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$4,976 NZ$8,834

-16.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$3,073 NZ$5,457

-0.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$1,825 NZ$3,239

-72.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.9

-5.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manukau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Manukau

$940 49.1% 91.5% $449

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Manukau

$282 14.7% 5.9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Manukau

$136 7.1% 8.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Manukau

$137 7.2% 12.7% $15

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Manukau

$221 11.5% 81.3% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Manukau

$68 3.6% 17.3% $14

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Manukau

$131 6.8% 85% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,036 in Manukau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Manukau are about 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $68 in Manukau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $282 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇿 Manukau

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

02:31 2:31 AM

6 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

362,000

💱 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 Manukau 9,340 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Manukau

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 Manukau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $1,914 in Manukau – Phuket comes out roughly 33% 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 $2,871 in Manukau. 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 $1,036 in Manukau.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Manukau, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $68 in Manukau. 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 $1,278, than in Manukau at $1,914. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manukau 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, Manukau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.