Cost of Living Comparison Between Rarotonga and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Rarotonga and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,139 in Rarotonga versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,617 in Rarotonga versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,096 in Rarotonga versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Rarotonga costs roughly 10% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rarotonga 17% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.77 NZ$25.39

$4.66 ฿154

216.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 NZ$90.7

$32.22 ฿1,065

63.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 NZ$9.91

$8.68 ฿287

-33.64%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NZ$5.91

$2.90 ฿95.8

18.62%

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

$2.30 NZ$3.95

$0.84 ฿27.89

173.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 NZ$3.93

$0.49 ฿16.16

365.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.28 NZ$9.07

$2.48 ฿82.0

112.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 NZ$9.13

$3.73 ฿123

42.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.85 NZ$4.90

$1.89 ฿62.3

50.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 NZ$5.20

$1.41 ฿46.54

114.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

Eggs

$6.25 NZ$10.74

$2.24 ฿74.1

179.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 NZ$13.31

$19.84 ฿656

-60.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.92 NZ$20.49

$4.31 ฿142

176.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 NZ$20.17

$18.60 ฿615

-36.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.46 NZ$5.95

$1.80 ฿59.5

92.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 NZ$9.29

$2.97 ฿98.0

81.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 NZ$5.02

$2.25 ฿74.2

29.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.77 NZ$35.72

$3.10 ฿102

570.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.89 NZ$61.7

$3.87 ฿128

827.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 NZ$3.09

$1.43 ฿47.16

25.87%

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

$11.7K NZ$20.2K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-57.76%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

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

$103 NZ$176

$105 ฿3,462

-2.10%

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

$49.34 NZ$84.8

$11.39 ฿376

333.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$108 NZ$186

$17.54 ฿580

517.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

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

$576 ฿19.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,417 NZ$2,437

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-87.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 NZ$815

$733 ฿24.2K

-35.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 NZ$796

$501 ฿16.5K

-7.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$710 NZ$1,221

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-66.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 NZ$1,129

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-47.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,121 NZ$7,085

$508 ฿16.8K

711.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Rarotonga: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Rarotonga and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rarotonga pays 712% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Rarotonga vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $159 vs $275, with Rarotonga 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

Rarotonga vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rarotonga is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 712% higher in Rarotonga, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $474 in Rarotonga versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Rarotonga – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,139 in Rarotonga versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rarotonga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rarotonga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rarotonga is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rarotonga and Phuket 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 Rarotonga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.