Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wanaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,696 in Wanaka, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Wanaka
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Wanaka Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Wanaka

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,696

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Wanaka

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 Wanaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,696 in Wanaka.

Phuket $1,278
Wanaka $1,696

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,695 in Wanaka.

Phuket $2,216
Wanaka $2,695

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,694 in Wanaka.

Phuket $3,154
Wanaka $3,694

Living in Phuket costs roughly 25% less than in Wanaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Wanaka is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$13.97 NZ$24.90

-68.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$57.1 NZ$102

-43.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.60 NZ$15.34

2.44%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$3.03 NZ$5.40

-6.60%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.71 NZ$3.05

-49.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.91 NZ$3.40

-74.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$6.96 NZ$12.41

-63.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.35 NZ$11.32

-42.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.12 NZ$3.78

-21.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$2.01 NZ$3.58

-27.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.79 NZ$3.18

-16.20%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$6.00 NZ$10.69

-65.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$8.51 NZ$15.16

124.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$9.71 NZ$17.30

-66.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$16.78 NZ$29.90

-34.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.90 NZ$5.17

1.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$2.14 NZ$3.81

-21.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.30 NZ$5.88

-31.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$5.10 NZ$9.09

-59.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.89 NZ$3.37

-20.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.78 NZ$3.17

-22.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$2.28 NZ$4.06

-53.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.60 NZ$1.07

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$22.66 NZ$40.39

-81.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.85 NZ$15.77

112.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$3.15 NZ$5.61

-42.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.26 NZ$2.25

125.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$5.83 NZ$10.38

-48.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$28.08 NZ$50.0

-86.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.80 NZ$3.21

-18.33%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$28.6K NZ$51.0K

-6.47%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$23.0K NZ$41.0K

15.94%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$112 NZ$200

-14.35%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$29.42 NZ$52.4

-61.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$51.9 NZ$92.5

-67.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$11.57 NZ$20.62

-35.18%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$601 NZ$1,072

-20.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$59.9 NZ$107

4.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$35.14 NZ$62.6

-19.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$68.5 NZ$122

37.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$73.9 NZ$132

16.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$971 NZ$1,730

-26.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$806 NZ$1,436

-39.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$1,880 NZ$3,351

2.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,656 NZ$2,952

-13.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$5,641 NZ$10.1K

-25.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$4,352 NZ$7,756

-88.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

39.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Wanaka: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Wanaka

$805 47.5% 64.1% $315

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Wanaka

$324 19.1% 21.8% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Wanaka

$194 11.4% 55.7% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Wanaka

$107 6.3% 12.3% $15

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Wanaka

$236 13.9% 93.9% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Wanaka

$23 * 1.4% 71.9% $59

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Wanaka

$5.8 * 0.3% 91.7% $65

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $971 in Wanaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wanaka pays about 8.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $57 in Wanaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $324 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇿 Wanaka

🕒 Local time

03:22 3:22 AM

09:22 9:22 AM

6 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

11,600

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Wanaka 9,140 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Wanaka

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 Wanaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 25% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 88% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $971 in Wanaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $601 in Wanaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $57 in Wanaka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,696 in Wanaka, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wanaka. 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 Wanaka, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Wanaka are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Wanaka on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.