Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Whanganui Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Whanganui

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,967 in Whanganui.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,974 in Whanganui.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,982 in Whanganui.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 37% less than in Whanganui, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Whanganui is 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$14.39 NZ$25.16

-69.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$67.7 NZ$118

-52.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$8.88 NZ$15.53

0.56%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.41 NZ$5.97

-14.96%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.30 NZ$4.02

-61.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.74 NZ$3.04

-72.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$5.76 NZ$10.07

-59.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$5.55 NZ$9.70

-32.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.40 NZ$2.45

33.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.98 NZ$1.72

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.16 NZ$2.04

33.62%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$5.47 NZ$9.56

-61.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$5.81 NZ$10.16

237.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.47 NZ$16.56

-63.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$15.77 NZ$27.57

-27.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.24 NZ$3.92

33.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.01 NZ$3.51

-16.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.92 NZ$3.35

15.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$3.51 NZ$6.13

-38.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.74 NZ$3.04

-12.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.33 NZ$2.32

0.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$2.08 NZ$3.64

-45.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.52 NZ$0.92

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$24.08 NZ$42.10

-82.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$10.19 NZ$17.82

87.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.64 NZ$4.61

-32.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.34 NZ$4.09

18.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.66 NZ$2.91

34.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$97.0 NZ$170

-76.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.93 NZ$3.38

56.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.84 NZ$3.22

-44.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$34.91 NZ$61.0

-88.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.61 NZ$2.82

-7.45%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$25.5K NZ$44.6K

4.15%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$26.3K NZ$45.9K

2.84%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$201 NZ$352

-49.12%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$32.91 NZ$57.5

-65.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$48.14 NZ$84.2

-63.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$39.64 NZ$69.3

31.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.85 NZ$10.22

31.45%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$1,091 NZ$1,908

-48.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$13.1K NZ$22.9K

-12.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$81.5 NZ$142

-22.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$29.22 NZ$51.1

1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$103 NZ$181

-5.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$160 NZ$280

-44.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$945 NZ$1,651

-21.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$855 NZ$1,495

-43.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,660 NZ$2,902

26.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,491 NZ$2,606

-17.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$4,176 NZ$7,300

-13.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$3,147 NZ$5,502

-17.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.39

3.34%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Whanganui: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $945 in Whanganui. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $68.0 in Whanganui. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $272, with Whanganui cheaper for home cooking.

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 Whanganui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $2,950 in Whanganui 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 $945 in Whanganui. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $1,091 in Whanganui. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Whanganui pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,967 in Whanganui, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Whanganui. 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 Whanganui, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Whanganui 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 60% less than in Whanganui. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.