Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Timaru Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Timaru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $2,079 in Timaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $3,164 in Timaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $4,248 in Timaru.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 41% less than in Timaru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Timaru is 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$14.98 NZ$25.68

-69.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$78.8 NZ$135

-40.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$9.55 NZ$16.37

-11.10%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$3.35 NZ$5.75

-8.06%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$2.27 NZ$3.88

-70.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$1.88 NZ$3.22

-80.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$6.02 NZ$10.31

-59.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$6.09 NZ$10.44

-40.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.56 NZ$2.67

40.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.90 NZ$3.26

-4.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.19 NZ$2.05

87.39%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$6.31 NZ$10.83

-64.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$9.66 NZ$16.56

102.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$10.49 NZ$17.99

-64.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$16.76 NZ$28.74

-19.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.64 NZ$4.52

27.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$2.49 NZ$4.26

-34.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$3.05 NZ$5.23

-20.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$5.81 NZ$9.97

-65.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$2.62 NZ$4.49

-41.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$2.37 NZ$4.07

-38.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$2.87 NZ$4.92

-64.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$1.15 NZ$1.97

-58.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$28.44 NZ$48.76

-84.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$7.41 NZ$12.70

158.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$4.81 NZ$8.24

-61.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$7.04 NZ$12.06

-61.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$2.06 NZ$3.54

-31.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$64.0 NZ$110

-81.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$2.85 NZ$4.89

5.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.14 NZ$1.95

-7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$31.05 NZ$53.2

-55.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.68 NZ$2.88

-23.21%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$29.4K NZ$50.4K

-4.60%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$18.0K NZ$30.9K

85.93%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$193 NZ$330

-36.65%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$24.04 NZ$41.22

-42.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$59.8 NZ$103

-68.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$37.50 NZ$64.3

63.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$12.00 NZ$20.57

40.33%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$13.45 NZ$23.06

-33.90%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$496 NZ$850

39.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$7,035 NZ$12.1K

129.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$88.5 NZ$152

-34.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$50.2 NZ$86.2

-29.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$95.7 NZ$164

18.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$278 NZ$477

-70.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$963 NZ$1,651

-37.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$788 NZ$1,351

-43.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$1,563 NZ$2,680

29.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$1,448 NZ$2,483

3.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$4,533 NZ$7,772

-20.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$3,359 NZ$5,759

-23.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

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 Timaru: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $963 in Timaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $79.0 in Timaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $356 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 Timaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,835 in Phuket and $3,119 in Timaru to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Phuket versus $963 in Timaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $496 in Timaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Timaru. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $2,079 in Timaru, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Timaru. 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 Timaru, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Timaru 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 70% less than in Timaru. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.