Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Masterton

For one person, living is cheaper in Masterton: $841 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Masterton
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Masterton Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Masterton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$841

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Masterton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $841 in Masterton.

Phuket $1,278
Masterton $841

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,446 in Masterton.

Phuket $2,216
Masterton $1,446

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,051 in Masterton.

Phuket $3,154
Masterton $2,051

Living in Phuket is roughly 52% more expensive than in Masterton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Masterton 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$9.26 NZ$16.44

-51.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$65.0 NZ$115

-50.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.77 NZ$15.58

0.46%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.35 NZ$5.95

-15.52%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$1.95 NZ$3.46

-55.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.11 NZ$1.97

-55.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$3.96 NZ$7.04

-35.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.40 NZ$6.04

8.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.46 NZ$2.59

13.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$2.13 NZ$3.77

-31.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.10 NZ$1.95

36.36%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$6.49 NZ$11.51

-67.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.59 NZ$15.25

122.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$9.94 NZ$17.65

-66.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$15.03 NZ$26.69

-27.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.22 NZ$3.93

31.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.81 NZ$3.21

-6.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.04 NZ$5.40

-25.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.48 NZ$7.95

-53.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.51 NZ$2.69

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.09 NZ$1.94

26.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.71 NZ$3.04

-37.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.52 NZ$0.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$19.90 NZ$35.33

-78.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$11.48 NZ$20.39

63.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.88 NZ$1.56

106.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.22 NZ$2.17

132.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$2.23 NZ$3.97

-34.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.89 NZ$3.36

59.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.80 NZ$3.20

-43.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$33.98 NZ$60.3

-89.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.73 NZ$3.08

-15.03%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$22.9K NZ$40.6K

17.11%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$23.9K NZ$42.4K

11.80%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$56.0 NZ$99.5

71.96%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$29.91 NZ$53.1

-62.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$53.4 NZ$94.8

-68.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$42.36 NZ$75.2

58.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$8.22 NZ$14.59

30.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$9.47 NZ$16.81

-20.80%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,038 NZ$1,844

-54.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$13.3K NZ$23.6K

-15.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$56.7 NZ$101

10.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$28.47 NZ$50.6

-0.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$105 NZ$186

-9.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$141 NZ$250

-39.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,019 NZ$1,809

89.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$2,339 NZ$4,152

-78.52%

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 Masterton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Masterton

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Masterton

$293 34.8% 10% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Masterton

$139 16.6% 11.9% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Masterton

$149 17.7% 22% $27

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Masterton

$179 21.3% 47.5% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Masterton

$61 7.3% 25.5% $21

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Masterton

$20 * 2.4% 71.9% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Masterton pays about 4.7 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $65 in Masterton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇿 Masterton

🕒 Local time

00:25 12:25 AM

06:25 6:25 AM

6 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

26,800

💱 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 October 31, 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 October 31, 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 Masterton 9,530 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Masterton

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 Masterton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masterton is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $841 in Masterton – Masterton is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $841 in Masterton versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Masterton but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Masterton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Masterton are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.