Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and North Shore Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and North Shore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,158 in North Shore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,957 in North Shore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $3,757 in North Shore.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 41% less than in North Shore, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, North Shore is 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$14.41 NZ$24.77

-67.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$71.4 NZ$123

-54.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$8.42 NZ$14.48

3.09%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.47 NZ$5.97

-16.43%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$2.10 NZ$3.62

-60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.74 NZ$2.98

-71.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$7.39 NZ$12.70

-66.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$6.99 NZ$12.01

-46.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.71 NZ$2.94

10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.35 NZ$2.32

4.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.83 NZ$3.15

-11.48%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$5.91 NZ$10.15

-62.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$8.35 NZ$14.36

137.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$10.32 NZ$17.75

-66.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$8.72 NZ$14.99

30.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.67 NZ$4.60

8.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.13 NZ$3.65

-19.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$3.08 NZ$5.29

-26.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$3.89 NZ$6.69

-45.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.27 NZ$3.91

-35.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.65 NZ$2.83

-13.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$2.01 NZ$3.46

-45.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.65 NZ$1.11

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$24.42 NZ$41.99

-82.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$10.09 NZ$17.34

84.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.86 NZ$3.20

-3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.18 NZ$2.02

151.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$2.44 NZ$4.20

-7.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$62.4 NZ$107

-62.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.36 NZ$4.06

31.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.12 NZ$3.64

-49.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$34.13 NZ$58.7

-88.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.82 NZ$3.13

-21.43%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$26.9K NZ$46.2K

3.41%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$22.8K NZ$39.2K

18.42%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$190 NZ$327

-44.98%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$14.99 NZ$25.76

-24.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$42.54 NZ$73.1

-58.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$28.46 NZ$48.93

90.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$10.71 NZ$18.42

-27.36%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$1,164 NZ$2,001

-50.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$14.9K NZ$25.7K

-22.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$73.2 NZ$126

-13.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$37.57 NZ$64.6

-22.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$90.4 NZ$155

6.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$117 NZ$201

-22.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$1,347 NZ$2,317

-45.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$1,109 NZ$1,907

-54.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$2,374 NZ$4,081

-10.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$1,384 NZ$2,379

-9.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$7,323 NZ$12.6K

-51.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$6,238 NZ$10.7K

-57.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$2,910 NZ$5,004

-82.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.4

3.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for North Shore: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $1,347 in North Shore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

North Shore pays 473% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $71.0 in North Shore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $280 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 North Shore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and North Shore differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $2,158 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 473% lower in North Shore. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $1,347 in North Shore. 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 $32.00 versus $71.0 in North Shore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $2,158 in North Shore – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,158 in North Shore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in North Shore. 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 North Shore 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 71% less than in North Shore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.