Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rotorua Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rotorua

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $1,455 in Rotorua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $2,327 in Rotorua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $3,198 in Rotorua.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 18% less than in Rotorua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Rotorua is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$11.26 NZ$20.01

-61.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,090

$66.3 NZ$118

-51.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿283

$8.77 NZ$15.59

-3.99%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.2

$3.24 NZ$5.77

-13.27%

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

$0.87 ฿29.38

$1.93 NZ$3.43

-54.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.44

$1.78 NZ$3.17

-74.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.8

$6.34 NZ$11.27

-59.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$6.55 NZ$11.65

-44.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.3

$1.69 NZ$3.00

1.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.56

$1.19 NZ$2.12

21.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.20 NZ$2.14

30.00%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.5

$6.10 NZ$10.84

-65.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿656

$7.23 NZ$12.85

170.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$4.40 NZ$7.82

-22.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿374

$16.95 NZ$30.14

-34.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿95.1

$2.78 NZ$4.94

1.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.97 NZ$3.51

-17.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.7

$2.46 NZ$4.37

-9.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿72.1

$5.86 NZ$10.43

-63.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.1

$1.43 NZ$2.53

4.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.53

$0.80 NZ$1.43

66.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.82

$0.57 NZ$1.02

87.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.06

$1.08 NZ$1.93

-52.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$24.45 NZ$43.48

-82.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿630

$8.39 NZ$14.92

123.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$2.72 NZ$4.84

-36.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.2

$3.34 NZ$5.93

-16.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.8

$1.25 NZ$2.23

73.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿748

$59.8 NZ$106

-62.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$2.30 NZ$4.08

31.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.53

$1.91 NZ$3.40

-44.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿125

$31.60 NZ$56.2

-88.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿48.03

$1.57 NZ$2.78

-8.92%

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

$26.3K ฿884.7K

$22.5K NZ$40.0K

17.18%

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

$26.2K ฿879.9K

$20.3K NZ$36.0K

29.27%

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

$96.7 ฿3,246

$64.1 NZ$114

50.87%

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

$11.41 ฿383

$26.72 NZ$47.51

-57.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿574

$44.71 NZ$79.5

-61.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,773

$37.91 NZ$67.4

39.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿372

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿257

$8.87 NZ$15.77

-13.75%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$662 NZ$1,178

-16.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿378.8K

$19.3K NZ$34.4K

-41.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,130

$75.5 NZ$134

-15.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿961

$16.48 NZ$29.30

73.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,248

$93.4 NZ$166

3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,975

$110 NZ$196

-19.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.7K

$674 NZ$1,199

8.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.4K

$558 NZ$992

-17.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.6K

$1,272 NZ$2,261

65.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.9K

$1,042 NZ$1,852

13.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿117.3K

$4,084 NZ$7,262

-14.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.7K

$3,276 NZ$5,824

-23.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$3,619 NZ$6,435

-86.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.37

3.72%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Rotorua: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $674 in Rotorua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotorua pays 623% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $66.0 in Rotorua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $276 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 Rotorua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 623% lower in Rotorua. 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: $735 in Phuket versus $674 in Rotorua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $662 in Rotorua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Rotorua. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,190 in Phuket versus $1,455 in Rotorua, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rotorua. 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 Rotorua, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Rotorua 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 22% less than in Rotorua. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.