Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pukekohe Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pukekohe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,734 in Pukekohe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,571 in Pukekohe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $3,408 in Pukekohe.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 27% less than in Pukekohe, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Pukekohe is 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$9.30 NZ$15.77

-51.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$38.58 NZ$65.4

18.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.44 NZ$9.23

61.03%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.40 NZ$4.07

23.75%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.92 NZ$1.56

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$2.25 NZ$3.81

-82.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$4.94 NZ$8.38

-48.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$6.20 NZ$10.51

-39.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.91 NZ$1.55

136.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.63 NZ$1.07

188.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.07 NZ$1.81

103.74%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$6.69 NZ$11.35

-66.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.07 NZ$11.99

182.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.86 NZ$13.32

-53.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$12.86 NZ$21.80

5.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.38 NZ$4.03

36.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.19 NZ$3.72

-25.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.36 NZ$4.01

-1.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$4.02 NZ$6.82

-48.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.08 NZ$3.52

-25.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.18 NZ$2.00

23.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.92 NZ$3.25

-48.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.62 NZ$1.06

-22.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$19.81 NZ$33.59

-78.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$10.32 NZ$17.49

79.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.93 NZ$3.27

-3.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.89 NZ$6.60

-31.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$2.07 NZ$3.51

-31.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$64.5 NZ$109

-82.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.05 NZ$3.48

54.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.98 NZ$3.36

-47.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$34.89 NZ$59.2

-60.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.56 NZ$2.64

-14.10%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$27.9K NZ$47.4K

-0.57%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$21.8K NZ$36.9K

53.41%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$144 NZ$244

-14.39%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$31.06 NZ$52.7

-55.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$42.69 NZ$72.4

-57.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$36.65 NZ$62.1

65.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$11.82 NZ$20.04

45.18%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$8.90 NZ$15.08

-0.34%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$901 NZ$1,527

-23.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$13.6K NZ$23.0K

16.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$71.0 NZ$120

-16.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$49.53 NZ$84.0

-29.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$97.9 NZ$166

17.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$125 NZ$212

-33.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$980 NZ$1,661

-36.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$774 NZ$1,312

-42.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,586 NZ$2,689

28.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$1,453 NZ$2,463

2.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$4,949 NZ$8,389

-30.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$3,169 NZ$5,372

-20.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Pukekohe: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $980 in Pukekohe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Pukekohe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $262 per month, with Pukekohe 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 Pukekohe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $2,602 in Pukekohe to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $980 in Pukekohe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $901 in Pukekohe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Pukekohe pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,734 in Pukekohe, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Pukekohe. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Pukekohe, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Pukekohe 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 37% less than in Pukekohe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.