Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Queenstown Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Queenstown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $2,726 in Queenstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $4,328 in Queenstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $5,930 in Queenstown.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 55% less than in Queenstown, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Queenstown is 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$15.19 NZ$26.05

-70.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$85.3 NZ$146

-45.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$9.73 NZ$16.69

-12.74%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$3.44 NZ$5.89

-10.47%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$2.49 NZ$4.27

-72.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$2.34 NZ$4.02

-84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$7.02 NZ$12.04

-65.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$6.09 NZ$10.44

-40.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$2.19 NZ$3.75

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$2.03 NZ$3.48

-10.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$2.39 NZ$4.10

-6.69%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$6.33 NZ$10.86

-64.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$9.94 NZ$17.04

97.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$10.49 NZ$17.99

-64.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$16.74 NZ$28.71

-19.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$3.03 NZ$5.19

10.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$2.47 NZ$4.24

-34.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$4.03 NZ$6.91

-40.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$5.64 NZ$9.67

-64.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$2.58 NZ$4.43

-40.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$2.33 NZ$4.00

-37.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$2.97 NZ$5.09

-65.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$1.11 NZ$1.90

-56.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$28.81 NZ$49.40

-85.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$9.85 NZ$16.89

94.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$4.61 NZ$7.90

-60.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$7.06 NZ$12.10

-61.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$2.69 NZ$4.61

-47.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$130 NZ$224

-91.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$2.86 NZ$4.90

4.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.87 NZ$3.20

-43.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$31.56 NZ$54.1

-55.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.71 NZ$2.93

-24.56%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$29.5K NZ$50.6K

-5.07%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$17.8K NZ$30.5K

88.18%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$277 NZ$475

-55.96%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$39.74 NZ$68.1

-64.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$63.8 NZ$109

-70.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$58.3 NZ$100.0

5.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$25.57 NZ$43.84

-34.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$13.31 NZ$22.82

-33.21%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$501 NZ$860

37.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$6,971 NZ$12.0K

131.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$87.7 NZ$150

-34.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$49.84 NZ$85.5

-28.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$95.3 NZ$163

19.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$277 NZ$476

-70.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$1,505 NZ$2,581

-59.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$1,294 NZ$2,219

-65.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$2,938 NZ$5,037

-30.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$2,531 NZ$4,340

-41.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$7,975 NZ$13.7K

-55.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$5,441 NZ$9,330

-52.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$3,189 NZ$5,468

-84.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.74

-20.92%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Queenstown: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $1,505 in Queenstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queenstown pays 532% 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 $85.0 in Queenstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $378 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 Queenstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 123% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Queenstown earns 532% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $1,505 in Queenstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $501 in Queenstown. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Queenstown. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $2,726 in Queenstown, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Queenstown. 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 Queenstown, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Queenstown 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 123% less than in Queenstown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.