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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,765 in Whanganui.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,744 in Whanganui.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,724 in Whanganui.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 29% less than in Whanganui, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Whanganui is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$15.21 NZ$25.97

-70.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$72.1 NZ$123

-35.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$9.00 NZ$15.36

-5.89%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.42 NZ$5.84

-11.40%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.29 NZ$3.90

-69.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.67 NZ$2.84

-77.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$4.86 NZ$8.29

-48.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.38 NZ$9.19

-31.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.67 NZ$2.85

30.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.55 NZ$2.65

22.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.94 NZ$3.31

13.40%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$5.75 NZ$9.82

-61.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.19 NZ$12.27

178.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$9.00 NZ$15.37

-59.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$12.43 NZ$21.22

6.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.46 NZ$4.20

31.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.81 NZ$3.08

-6.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.51 NZ$4.29

-4.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.49 NZ$5.96

-40.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.06 NZ$3.51

-22.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.16 NZ$3.69

-31.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.14 NZ$3.66

-51.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.56 NZ$0.96

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$20.04 NZ$34.21

-78.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$9.93 NZ$16.95

89.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.55 NZ$4.35

-30.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.59 NZ$4.43

6.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$2.17 NZ$3.71

-37.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$63.4 NZ$108

-82.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.79 NZ$4.76

12.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.77 NZ$3.02

-41.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$34.94 NZ$59.7

-60.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.64 NZ$2.80

-18.29%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$27.2K NZ$46.4K

1.81%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$23.3K NZ$39.7K

45.60%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$121 NZ$207

2.01%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$36.68 NZ$62.6

-63.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$48.84 NZ$83.4

-61.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$36.54 NZ$62.4

69.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$11.95 NZ$20.40

44.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$7.26 NZ$12.39

25.90%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$367 NZ$626

91.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$12.0K NZ$20.5K

32.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$70.5 NZ$120

-15.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$36.23 NZ$61.9

-3.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$98.4 NZ$168

17.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$129 NZ$220

-34.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$1,222 NZ$2,087

-49.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$716 NZ$1,222

-39.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,559 NZ$2,662

32.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,355 NZ$2,314

11.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.69

-20.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Whanganui: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,222 in Whanganui. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $72.0 in Whanganui. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $281, 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $2,648 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: $619 in Phuket versus $1,222 in Whanganui. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $367 in Whanganui. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Whanganui pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,765 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 40% less than in Whanganui. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.