Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rarotonga Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rarotonga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,368 in Rarotonga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,042 in Rarotonga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,716 in Rarotonga.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 10% less than in Rarotonga, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Rarotonga is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$12.23 NZ$20.91

-62.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$60.9 NZ$104

-23.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.53 NZ$12.87

17.40%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$4.44 NZ$7.59

-32.43%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$3.23 NZ$5.52

-77.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.87 NZ$4.91

-87.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$6.60 NZ$11.28

-63.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$5.39 NZ$9.21

-33.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.24 NZ$3.84

0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$3.02 NZ$5.16

-39.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.55 NZ$2.64

44.52%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$6.34 NZ$10.84

-63.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.97 NZ$15.35

119.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.25 NZ$12.40

-49.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.07 NZ$12.09

85.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.03 NZ$5.19

11.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$3.08 NZ$5.26

-46.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.56 NZ$6.09

-32.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$3.04 NZ$5.20

-33.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.84 NZ$3.14

-15.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.37 NZ$2.34

9.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.85 NZ$3.16

-44.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$3.66 NZ$6.25

-86.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$15.36 NZ$26.27

-71.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.99 NZ$20.50

57.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.52 NZ$6.02

-49.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$5.37 NZ$9.18

-48.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$2.94 NZ$5.03

-52.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$20.94 NZ$35.80

-85.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$35.69 NZ$61.0

-60.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.85 NZ$3.16

-27.03%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$12.2K NZ$20.9K

122.30%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$125 ฿4,087

$91.3 NZ$156

36.95%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$30.06 NZ$51.4

-54.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$104 NZ$178

-82.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$24.68 NZ$42.21

149.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$24.30 NZ$41.54

-30.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.99 NZ$11.95

31.47%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,431 NZ$2,447

989.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$489 NZ$836

26.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$484 NZ$827

-7.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$723 NZ$1,237

183.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$718 NZ$1,229

107.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$4,070 NZ$6,960

-87.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Rarotonga: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $489 in Rarotonga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rarotonga pays 677% 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 $61.0 in Rarotonga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $343 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 Rarotonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Rarotonga earns 677% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $489 in Rarotonga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Rarotonga. 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 $47.00 versus $61.0 in Rarotonga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,368 in Rarotonga, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rarotonga. 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 Rarotonga, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Rarotonga 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 11% less than in Rarotonga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.