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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,683 in Palmerston North.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $2,685 in Palmerston North.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $3,687 in Palmerston North.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 27% less than in Palmerston North, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Palmerston North is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$16.88 NZ$29.32

-73.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$73.6 NZ$128

-36.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$11.92 NZ$20.71

-28.78%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$3.49 NZ$6.06

-11.75%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$2.41 NZ$4.19

-71.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$2.08 NZ$3.61

-82.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$7.43 NZ$12.91

-67.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.41 NZ$11.14

-43.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.94 NZ$3.37

12.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$2.03 NZ$3.53

-10.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.76 NZ$3.06

26.70%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$5.40 NZ$9.37

-58.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$8.30 NZ$14.42

136.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$9.21 NZ$16.00

-59.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$12.26 NZ$21.29

9.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$2.52 NZ$4.37

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.90 NZ$3.31

-14.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.52 NZ$4.38

-4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$3.37 NZ$5.86

-40.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$2.15 NZ$3.74

-28.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$2.18 NZ$3.79

-33.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$2.06 NZ$3.57

-50.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.93 NZ$1.62

-48.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$20.14 NZ$34.99

-78.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$8.98 NZ$15.59

112.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$2.55 NZ$4.43

-27.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$5.37 NZ$9.33

-48.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$4.63 NZ$8.04

-69.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$30.06 NZ$52.2

-61.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.36 NZ$4.10

27.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$1.87 NZ$3.25

-43.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$17.03 NZ$29.59

-18.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.68 NZ$2.92

-23.21%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$18.7K NZ$32.5K

49.84%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$21.5K NZ$37.4K

55.57%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$88.6 NZ$154

37.66%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$37.29 NZ$64.8

-62.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$46.76 NZ$81.2

-59.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$35.11 NZ$61.0

74.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$13.03 NZ$22.64

29.24%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$8.98 NZ$15.60

-1.00%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$1,002 NZ$1,741

-31.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$6,139 NZ$10.7K

163.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$56.6 NZ$98.3

2.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$37.92 NZ$65.9

-6.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$91.2 NZ$158

24.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$93.1 NZ$162

-10.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$849 NZ$1,475

-28.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$688 NZ$1,196

-34.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$1,574 NZ$2,734

28.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$1,380 NZ$2,397

8.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$2,101 NZ$3,650

70.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$1,916 NZ$3,329

34.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$2,561 NZ$4,448

-80.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.69

-20.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $849 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 407% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $74.0 in Palmerston North for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $299 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 Palmerston North: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Palmerston North differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,223 vs $1,683 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 407% lower in Palmerston North. 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: $607 in Phuket versus $849 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $1,002 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Palmerston North. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,683 in Palmerston North, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Palmerston North. 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 Palmerston North 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 38% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.