Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and New Plymouth Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and New Plymouth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,807 in New Plymouth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,786 in New Plymouth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,765 in New Plymouth.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 30% less than in New Plymouth, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, New Plymouth is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$15.24 NZ$25.95

-69.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$78.7 NZ$134

-42.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$10.61 NZ$18.07

-20.55%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.74 NZ$6.37

-21.66%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$2.33 NZ$3.98

-70.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.95 NZ$3.32

-81.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$5.24 NZ$8.93

-54.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$7.18 NZ$12.23

-48.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.03 NZ$3.46

9.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.55 NZ$2.64

18.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.74 NZ$2.96

24.71%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$6.15 NZ$10.47

-64.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.59 NZ$12.93

160.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$13.05 NZ$22.23

-72.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$12.94 NZ$22.04

4.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.15 NZ$3.66

52.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.97 NZ$3.35

-18.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.14 NZ$5.35

-23.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$6.70 NZ$11.42

-68.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.63 NZ$4.47

-41.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.66 NZ$2.82

-10.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.97 NZ$3.35

-49.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.41 NZ$2.40

-63.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$21.22 NZ$36.14

-79.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.67 NZ$14.76

123.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.87 NZ$6.60

-54.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$4.31 NZ$7.34

-37.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.83 NZ$3.12

-25.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$64.3 NZ$110

-82.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.76 NZ$3.00

71.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$3.45 NZ$5.87

-71.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$36.28 NZ$61.8

-61.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.65 NZ$2.81

-17.58%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$47.6K NZ$81.1K

-40.74%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.7K NZ$40.4K

38.64%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$214 NZ$365

-43.14%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$29.67 NZ$50.5

-54.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$30.46 NZ$51.9

-39.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$36.20 NZ$61.7

66.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$12.01 NZ$20.46

42.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$11.16 NZ$19.01

-22.13%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$741 NZ$1,263

-6.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$11.9K NZ$20.3K

31.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$90.7 NZ$154

-34.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$36.47 NZ$62.1

-4.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$72.7 NZ$124

57.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$65.1 NZ$111

27.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$733 NZ$1,249

-16.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$682 NZ$1,162

-35.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,350 NZ$2,299

55.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,159 NZ$1,974

30.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$3,360 NZ$5,724

11.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,703 NZ$4,605

-3.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,971 NZ$5,062

-82.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.93

-10.12%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for New Plymouth: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $733 in New Plymouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Plymouth pays 485% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $79.0 in New Plymouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $344 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 New Plymouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and New Plymouth differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,807 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, New Plymouth earns 485% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $733 in New Plymouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 464% less than in New Plymouth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $741 in New Plymouth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,807 in New Plymouth, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in New Plymouth. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 New Plymouth 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 43% less than in New Plymouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.