Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and North Shore

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,123 in North Shore, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in North Shore
Learn more

North Shore Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

North Shore

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,123

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in North Shore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,123 in North Shore.

Phuket $1,278
North Shore $2,123

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,945 in North Shore.

Phuket $2,216
North Shore $2,945

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,766 in North Shore.

Phuket $3,154
North Shore $3,766

Living in Phuket costs roughly 40% less than in North Shore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, North Shore is 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$13.99 NZ$24.86

-68.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$75.3 NZ$134

-56.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.51 NZ$15.11

3.53%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$3.44 NZ$6.11

-17.73%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$1.99 NZ$3.54

-56.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$1.83 NZ$3.24

-73.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$6.68 NZ$11.86

-61.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.77 NZ$10.25

-36.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.62 NZ$2.88

2.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$1.34 NZ$2.38

8.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.82 NZ$3.23

-17.58%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$5.76 NZ$10.23

-63.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$8.01 NZ$14.23

138.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$10.01 NZ$17.78

-67.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.77 NZ$20.92

-7.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$2.68 NZ$4.77

9.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$2.11 NZ$3.75

-19.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$3.16 NZ$5.62

-28.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$6.03 NZ$10.72

-65.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$2.08 NZ$3.69

-27.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$1.52 NZ$2.69

-9.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$2.50 NZ$4.44

-57.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.93 NZ$1.64

-44.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$25.31 NZ$44.96

-83.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$10.50 NZ$18.65

78.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.74 NZ$4.87

-33.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$3.29 NZ$5.84

-13.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$2.32 NZ$4.13

-37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$61.4 NZ$109

-7.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.31 NZ$4.11

30.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.97 NZ$3.50

-48.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$32.86 NZ$58.4

-88.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.74 NZ$3.09

-15.52%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$26.9K NZ$47.7K

-0.37%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$22.1K NZ$39.3K

20.69%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$182 NZ$323

-47.01%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$26.22 NZ$46.58

-57.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$51.4 NZ$91.3

-67.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$27.58 NZ$48.99

143.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$12.07 NZ$21.44

-37.86%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$686 NZ$1,219

-30.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$14.5K NZ$25.8K

-22.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$69.1 NZ$123

-9.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$37.67 NZ$66.9

-24.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$95.3 NZ$169

-1.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$107 NZ$191

-20.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,328 NZ$2,360

-46.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$1,042 NZ$1,850

-52.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$2,240 NZ$3,980

-13.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$1,326 NZ$2,355

7.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$7,353 NZ$13.1K

-43.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$6,086 NZ$10.8K

-49.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$2,856 NZ$5,074

-82.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.63

-15.99%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for North Shore: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

North Shore

$1K 49% 112% $551

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

North Shore

$310 14.6% 16.4% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

North Shore

$259 12.2% 108% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

North Shore

$139 6.6% 14.2% $17

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

North Shore

$239 11.3% 96.3% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

North Shore

$52 2.4% 37.1% $31

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

North Shore

$83 3.9% 17.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,328 in North Shore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

North Shore pays about 5.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $75 in North Shore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $310 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇿 North Shore

🕒 Local time

07:33 7:33 AM

13:33 1:33 PM

6 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

258,697

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.506 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.506 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket North Shore 9,340 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
North Shore

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 North Shore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $2,123 in North Shore, so Phuket is about 40% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 82% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,328 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 versus $75 in North Shore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $2,123 in North Shore – Phuket is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,123 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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in North Shore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.