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 $1,780 in North Shore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,757 in North Shore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,733 in North Shore.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 29% less than in North Shore, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, North Shore is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$14.92 NZ$25.41

-68.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$79.1 NZ$135

-42.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$8.46 NZ$14.40

-0.35%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.43 NZ$5.85

-14.58%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$2.08 NZ$3.54

-66.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$1.80 NZ$3.06

-79.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$7.36 NZ$12.54

-67.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$7.05 NZ$12.01

-47.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.81 NZ$3.07

23.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.55 NZ$2.64

18.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.95 NZ$3.32

11.28%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$5.83 NZ$9.94

-62.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.14 NZ$13.85

142.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$9.49 NZ$16.17

-61.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.19 NZ$15.65

47.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.73 NZ$4.64

20.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.10 NZ$3.57

-23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.31 NZ$5.64

-27.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.16 NZ$7.08

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.00 NZ$3.41

-23.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.72 NZ$2.92

-13.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.96 NZ$3.34

-49.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.71 NZ$1.22

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$24.69 NZ$42.04

-82.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$10.11 NZ$17.22

91.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.86 NZ$3.17

-4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.26 NZ$2.15

115.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$2.51 NZ$4.27

-45.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$64.1 NZ$109

-82.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$2.13 NZ$3.63

41.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.91 NZ$3.25

-48.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$34.66 NZ$59.0

-59.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.64 NZ$2.79

-17.07%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$28.3K NZ$48.2K

-0.27%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.0K NZ$37.5K

49.33%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$146 NZ$248

-16.44%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$15.04 NZ$25.61

-9.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$44.24 NZ$75.3

-58.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$28.74 NZ$48.94

109.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$12.20 NZ$20.78

40.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$11.02 NZ$18.76

-21.14%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$916 NZ$1,559

-24.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$13.5K NZ$23.1K

15.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$71.5 NZ$122

-16.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$49.21 NZ$83.8

-29.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$94.6 NZ$161

21.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$90.6 NZ$154

-8.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,066 NZ$1,816

-42.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$787 NZ$1,340

-44.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$2,950 NZ$5,024

-29.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,363 NZ$2,322

10.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$7,656 NZ$13.0K

-51.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$6,430 NZ$11.0K

-59.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,979 NZ$5,074

-82.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.37

-16.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for North Shore: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,066 in North Shore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

North Shore pays 486% 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 North Shore. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $282, with North Shore 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 North Shore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and North Shore differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,780 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, North Shore earns 486% 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 $1,066 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 $45.00 versus $79.0 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 $1,780 in North Shore – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,780 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 41% less than in North Shore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.