Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wairoa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wairoa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,913 in Wairoa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,903 in Wairoa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,894 in Wairoa.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 36% less than in Wairoa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Wairoa is 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$15.38 NZ$26.88

-71.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$72.6 NZ$127

-55.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.38 NZ$16.40

-4.80%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.07 NZ$5.36

-5.54%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.06 NZ$3.60

-57.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.66 NZ$2.91

-71.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$6.82 NZ$11.92

-65.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$5.74 NZ$10.03

-35.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.99 NZ$3.48

-6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.03 NZ$3.55

-27.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.59 NZ$2.78

-2.52%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$6.22 NZ$10.87

-66.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$9.22 NZ$16.12

112.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$10.78 NZ$18.85

-68.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$14.16 NZ$24.76

-19.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.55 NZ$4.46

16.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.50 NZ$4.38

-32.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.74 NZ$4.80

-19.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.72 NZ$8.26

-54.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.42 NZ$4.24

-37.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.52 NZ$2.66

-11.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$2.08 NZ$3.64

-45.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.07 NZ$1.87

-48.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$23.45 NZ$40.99

-81.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$9.16 NZ$16.01

108.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.91 NZ$5.09

-38.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.12 NZ$5.46

-10.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.62 NZ$2.83

37.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$75.0 NZ$131

-69.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.55 NZ$4.47

18.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.03 NZ$3.55

-49.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$30.14 NZ$52.7

-87.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.67 NZ$2.92

-10.78%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$22.4K NZ$39.1K

18.77%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$20.5K NZ$35.9K

31.57%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$116 NZ$202

-11.42%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$31.29 NZ$54.7

-63.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$46.91 NZ$82.0

-62.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$37.96 NZ$66.4

37.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$9.93 NZ$17.36

-22.56%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$805 NZ$1,407

-30.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$14.8K NZ$25.8K

-22.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$72.2 NZ$126

-12.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$31.72 NZ$55.5

-6.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$96.4 NZ$169

1.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$122 NZ$212

-27.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$1,052 NZ$1,839

-29.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$830 NZ$1,451

-41.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,637 NZ$2,862

28.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,679 NZ$2,935

-26.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$5,283 NZ$9,236

-31.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$3,187 NZ$5,572

-18.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.4

3.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Wairoa: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $1,052 in Wairoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $73.0 in Wairoa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $328 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 Wairoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $2,869 in Wairoa 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: $738 in Phuket versus $1,052 in Wairoa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $805 in Wairoa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Wairoa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,913 in Wairoa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wairoa. 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 Wairoa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Wairoa 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 55% less than in Wairoa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.