Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wanaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wanaka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,874 in Wanaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $2,934 in Wanaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $3,993 in Wanaka.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 35% less than in Wanaka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Wanaka is 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$11.92 NZ$20.71

-62.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$61.1 NZ$106

-23.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$8.96 NZ$15.56

-5.25%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$3.14 NZ$5.45

-1.91%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$1.71 NZ$2.98

-60.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$1.98 NZ$3.44

-81.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$7.43 NZ$12.90

-67.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.13 NZ$10.65

-40.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$2.08 NZ$3.61

5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$1.88 NZ$3.27

-3.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.87 NZ$3.25

19.25%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$5.50 NZ$9.55

-59.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$8.31 NZ$14.44

135.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$10.89 NZ$18.92

-65.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$12.96 NZ$22.52

3.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$2.88 NZ$5.00

16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$2.20 NZ$3.83

-26.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.33 NZ$5.79

-27.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$4.44 NZ$7.71

-55.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$2.01 NZ$3.49

-23.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$1.97 NZ$3.43

-26.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$2.56 NZ$4.44

-60.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$1.07 NZ$1.87

-55.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$23.94 NZ$41.58

-82.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$9.00 NZ$15.64

112.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$2.46 NZ$4.28

-25.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$3.57 NZ$6.19

-23.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$2.17 NZ$3.77

-34.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$64.4 NZ$112

-81.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.65 NZ$4.61

13.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$1.15 NZ$1.99

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$30.63 NZ$53.2

-54.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.64 NZ$2.85

-21.34%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$19.6K NZ$34.0K

43.26%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$26.0K NZ$45.1K

29.09%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$103 NZ$178

18.95%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$36.09 NZ$62.7

-61.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$55.5 NZ$96.5

-66.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$41.96 NZ$72.9

46.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$12.15 NZ$21.11

38.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$9.55 NZ$16.59

-6.91%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$588 NZ$1,022

17.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$12.1K NZ$21.1K

33.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$67.4 NZ$117

-14.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$34.77 NZ$60.4

1.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$72.0 NZ$125

57.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$78.3 NZ$136

5.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$1,052 NZ$1,828

-42.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$853 NZ$1,482

-47.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$2,027 NZ$3,521

0.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$1,719 NZ$2,985

-13.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$4,505 NZ$7,826

-20.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$3,204 NZ$5,565

-19.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$4,403 NZ$7,649

-88.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

33.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Wanaka: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $1,052 in Wanaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wanaka pays 772% 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 Wanaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $321 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 Wanaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 772% lower in Wanaka. 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: $607 in Phuket versus $1,052 in Wanaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $588 in Wanaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Wanaka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,874 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 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 53% less than in Wanaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.