Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rarotonga

For one person, living is cheaper in Rarotonga: $1,117 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Rarotonga

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Rarotonga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Rarotonga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,117 in Rarotonga.

Phuket $1,294
Rarotonga $1,117

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,580 in Rarotonga.

Phuket $2,204
Rarotonga $1,580

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $2,044 in Rarotonga.

Phuket $3,115
Rarotonga $2,044

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Rarotonga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Rarotonga 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$14.17 NZ$25.33

-69.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,080

$51.9 NZ$92.7

-37.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿291

$5.71 NZ$10.21

52.36%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.1

$3.51 NZ$6.27

-22.51%

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

$0.93 ฿31.11

$2.22 NZ$3.96

-58.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.70

$2.31 NZ$4.13

-78.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.6

$4.97 NZ$8.88

-49.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.17 NZ$9.24

-29.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$2.77 NZ$4.96

-37.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$2.79 NZ$4.98

-48.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.2

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.6

$6.29 NZ$11.23

-65.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿638

$7.35 NZ$13.13

159.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.4

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.77

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$11.42 NZ$20.40

-61.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿610

$11.23 NZ$20.06

62.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.3

$3.34 NZ$5.98

-47.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.3

$5.12 NZ$9.15

-43.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.40

$2.81 NZ$5.02

-48.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,835

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$19.77 NZ$35.33

-92.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$34.02 NZ$60.8

-88.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.74

$1.74 NZ$3.12

-14.37%

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

$26.9K ฿898.9K

$11.4K NZ$20.3K

136.52%

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

$26.3K ฿881.0K

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

$97.8 ฿3,271

$100 NZ$179

-2.60%

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

$11.29 ฿378

$47.44 NZ$84.8

-76.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿575

$103 NZ$184

-83.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,285

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

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

$530 ฿17.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿628.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,062

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿945

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,210

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,903

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$460 NZ$822

56.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$457 NZ$816

11.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.2K

$682 NZ$1,219

185.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.7K

$631 NZ$1,127

121.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

$3,929 NZ$7,020

-87.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Rarotonga: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Rarotonga

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Rarotonga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Rarotonga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Rarotonga

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Rarotonga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Rarotonga

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Rarotonga

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $460 in Rarotonga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rarotonga pays about 8 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $52 in Rarotonga. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $152, with Rarotonga cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇰 Rarotonga

🕒 Local time

11:39 11:39 AM

18:39 6:39 PM

17 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

13,373

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 NZD = 0.56 USD

1 NZD = 0.499 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 NZD (1 NZD = 0.56 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 NZD (1 NZD = 0.499 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Phuket Rarotonga 11,550 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

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Phuket
Rarotonga

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Rarotonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rarotonga is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Phuket. 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: $721 in Phuket versus $460 in Rarotonga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $52 in Rarotonga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Rarotonga is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Rarotonga are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.