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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,603 in Palmerston North.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,628 in Palmerston North.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,653 in Palmerston North.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 23% less than in Palmerston North, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Palmerston North is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$14.19 NZ$24.80

-68.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$65.1 NZ$114

-50.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.41 NZ$16.44

-5.10%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.41 NZ$5.97

-14.96%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.42 NZ$4.24

-63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.78 NZ$3.11

-73.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$6.58 NZ$11.51

-64.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$6.90 NZ$12.06

-46.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.84 NZ$3.21

1.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.20 NZ$3.85

-33.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.35 NZ$2.36

14.81%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$5.23 NZ$9.14

-59.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.87 NZ$12.00

185.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$10.18 NZ$17.79

-66.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$11.18 NZ$19.54

1.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.69 NZ$4.71

10.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.30 NZ$4.03

-26.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.29 NZ$4.00

-3.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$5.77 NZ$10.09

-62.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.50 NZ$2.62

1.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.90 NZ$1.57

48.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.68 NZ$2.94

-32.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.76 NZ$1.33

-27.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$23.56 NZ$41.19

-81.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.94 NZ$13.89

140.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.80 NZ$4.89

-36.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.92 NZ$5.11

-4.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$4.03 NZ$7.04

-44.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$83.2 NZ$146

-72.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.88 NZ$3.28

61.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.88 NZ$3.29

-45.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$17.38 NZ$30.38

-77.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.64 NZ$2.87

-9.15%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$21.9K NZ$38.3K

21.22%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$25.3K NZ$44.2K

6.89%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$69.8 NZ$122

46.78%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$32.55 NZ$56.9

-65.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$35.57 NZ$62.2

-51.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$22.92 NZ$40.07

127.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$14.49 NZ$25.33

-23.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$11.93 NZ$20.86

-35.54%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$1,082 NZ$1,892

-48.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$8,497 NZ$14.9K

35.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$70.6 NZ$123

-10.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$28.44 NZ$49.72

3.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$84.6 NZ$148

15.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$87.1 NZ$152

1.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$907 NZ$1,586

-18.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$644 NZ$1,125

-25.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,663 NZ$2,907

26.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,337 NZ$2,337

-8.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,077 NZ$3,632

74.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,877 NZ$3,282

38.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,556 NZ$4,469

-80.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.39

3.34%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $907 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 418% 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 $65.0 in Palmerston North for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $295 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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,603 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 418% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $907 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $1,082 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Palmerston North. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,603 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 30% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.