Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Masterton Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Masterton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,485 in Masterton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,448 in Masterton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,411 in Masterton.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 17% less than in Masterton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Masterton is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$9.82 NZ$16.79

-52.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$90.0 NZ$154

-47.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.28 NZ$15.86

-4.74%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.15 NZ$5.38

-4.76%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$2.08 NZ$3.55

-64.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.66 NZ$2.83

-77.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.71 NZ$6.34

-34.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.31 NZ$7.38

-16.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.49 NZ$2.54

51.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.69 NZ$2.88

8.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.16 NZ$1.99

93.10%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$6.00 NZ$10.26

-61.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.33 NZ$12.54

168.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$9.43 NZ$16.12

-61.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$12.14 NZ$20.76

7.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.86 NZ$3.18

82.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.86 NZ$3.18

-11.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.56 NZ$4.38

-5.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$3.33 NZ$5.70

-39.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.45 NZ$2.48

7.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.18 NZ$2.01

27.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.77 NZ$3.03

-42.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.90 NZ$1.55

-45.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$20.04 NZ$34.26

-77.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.74 NZ$18.37

75.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.32 NZ$3.97

-23.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.59 NZ$4.43

6.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$2.36 NZ$4.03

-40.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$64.0 NZ$109

-82.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.37 NZ$4.06

31.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.78 NZ$3.04

-43.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$40.81 NZ$69.8

-65.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.68 NZ$2.87

-19.64%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$24.1K NZ$41.3K

12.61%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.4K NZ$40.0K

40.88%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$79.5 NZ$136

57.19%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$31.57 NZ$54.0

-57.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$48.75 NZ$83.4

-62.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$40.52 NZ$69.3

51.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$8.89 NZ$15.21

89.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$8.13 NZ$13.89

13.04%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$397 NZ$678

75.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,896 NZ$8,371

218.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$70.2 NZ$120

-17.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$30.07 NZ$51.4

17.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$104 NZ$178

8.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$113 NZ$194

-23.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$785 NZ$1,342

-21.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$612 NZ$1,046

-27.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,269 NZ$2,169

61.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,072 NZ$1,833

39.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$2,456 NZ$4,200

-78.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.69

-20.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Masterton: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $785 in Masterton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Masterton pays 369% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $90.0 in Masterton. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $276, with Masterton cheaper for home cooking.

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 Masterton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Masterton earns 369% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $785 in Masterton. 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 $47.00 versus $90.0 in Masterton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,485 in Masterton – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,485 in Masterton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Masterton. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Masterton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Masterton are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Masterton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.