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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,737 in Queenstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $4,232 in Queenstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $5,727 in Queenstown.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 54% less than in Queenstown, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Queenstown is 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$14.92 NZ$25.29

-69.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$85.2 NZ$144

-46.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$9.71 NZ$16.47

-9.78%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.33 NZ$5.65

-10.81%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$2.40 NZ$4.06

-71.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$2.39 NZ$4.05

-83.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$7.43 NZ$12.59

-65.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$6.09 NZ$10.32

-38.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$2.19 NZ$3.71

-1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.09 NZ$3.54

-12.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.45 NZ$4.15

-11.02%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$6.36 NZ$10.79

-64.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$9.76 NZ$16.54

104.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$10.88 NZ$18.44

-66.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$16.92 NZ$28.69

-19.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.11 NZ$5.28

4.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.43 NZ$4.12

-32.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$4.02 NZ$6.81

-42.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$5.67 NZ$9.61

-63.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.70 NZ$4.58

-42.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.36 NZ$3.99

-38.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$2.85 NZ$4.83

-65.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.14 NZ$1.93

-57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$28.54 NZ$48.38

-84.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$9.74 NZ$16.52

90.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$4.78 NZ$8.10

-61.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$7.05 NZ$11.95

-62.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$2.65 NZ$4.49

-46.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$128 NZ$217

-90.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.89 NZ$4.90

9.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.89 NZ$3.21

-45.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$31.17 NZ$52.8

-55.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.65 NZ$2.79

-18.79%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$30.4K NZ$51.5K

-8.45%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$17.6K NZ$29.8K

89.67%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$280 NZ$474

-55.97%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$39.68 NZ$67.3

-65.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$62.3 NZ$106

-70.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$58.2 NZ$98.6

4.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$24.79 NZ$42.02

-30.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$13.01 NZ$22.06

-31.82%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$488 NZ$827

41.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,947 NZ$11.8K

127.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$88.2 NZ$150

-32.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$49.41 NZ$83.8

-29.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$97.8 NZ$166

17.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$281 NZ$476

-70.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$1,502 NZ$2,547

-58.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$1,260 NZ$2,137

-64.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$2,944 NZ$4,990

-30.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$2,559 NZ$4,338

-41.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$7,751 NZ$13.1K

-55.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$5,425 NZ$9,197

-53.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$3,095 NZ$5,247

-84.05%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Queenstown: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $1,502 in Queenstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queenstown pays 527% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $85.0 in Queenstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $382 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 116% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 527% lower in Queenstown. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $1,502 in Queenstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $488 in Queenstown. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Queenstown. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,737 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 116% less than in Queenstown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.