Cost of Living Comparison Between Rolleston and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Rolleston and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,821 in Rolleston versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,666 in Rolleston versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,511 in Rolleston versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Rolleston is roughly 44% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rolleston is 37% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.63 NZ$28.19

$4.48 ฿150

271.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.5 NZ$121

$45.59 ฿1,521

56.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 NZ$16.62

$8.76 ฿292

11.99%

Cappuccino

$3.35 NZ$5.67

$2.97 ฿99.0

12.79%

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

$2.23 NZ$3.77

$0.69 ฿22.90

223.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 NZ$3.43

$0.39 ฿13.04

417.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 NZ$12.47

$2.53 ฿84.4

190.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 NZ$10.50

$3.75 ฿125

65.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.09

$2.15 ฿71.6

-14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 NZ$3.32

$1.82 ฿60.6

7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 NZ$2.87

$2.18 ฿72.9

-22.48%

Eggs

$5.62 NZ$9.53

$2.25 ฿75.0

149.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.36 NZ$14.17

$20.00 ฿667

-58.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.78 NZ$16.57

$3.63 ฿121

169.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 NZ$21.51

$13.56 ฿452

-6.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 NZ$4.89

$3.24 ฿108

-10.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 NZ$3.97

$1.64 ฿54.6

42.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.23

$2.33 ฿77.8

32.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.60 NZ$9.49

$2.07 ฿69.1

170.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.22

$1.55 ฿51.6

22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 NZ$3.42

$1.46 ฿48.54

38.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NZ$4.93

$0.98 ฿32.86

196.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NZ$1.79

$0.48 ฿16.09

120.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.07 NZ$40.80

$4.35 ฿145

453.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.51 NZ$14.42

$18.57 ฿620

-54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.74 NZ$6.35

$1.86 ฿61.9

101.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 NZ$6.00

$2.65 ฿88.6

33.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.15 NZ$3.64

$1.42 ฿47.28

51.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 NZ$111

$11.57 ฿386

464.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 NZ$4.47

$3.17 ฿106

-16.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 NZ$1.84

$1.03 ฿34.41

5.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.08 NZ$51.0

$13.89 ฿463

116.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.80

$1.34 ฿44.84

23.13%

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

$20.1K NZ$34.1K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-27.59%

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

$20.1K NZ$34.0K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-39.88%

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

$99.7 NZ$169

$123 ฿4,105

-18.99%

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

$31.21 NZ$52.9

$13.77 ฿459

126.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 NZ$89.4

$18.33 ฿611

187.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.05 NZ$62.8

$60.7 ฿2,025

-38.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.27 NZ$20.80

$17.16 ฿573

-28.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.79 NZ$16.59

$8.87 ฿296

10.37%

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

$592 NZ$1,003

$688 ฿22.9K

-13.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,189 NZ$12.2K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-54.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 NZ$109

$59.3 ฿1,978

8.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.37 NZ$61.7

$34.69 ฿1,157

4.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 NZ$154

$115 ฿3,843

-21.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$205

$83.8 ฿2,794

44.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 NZ$1,650

$621 ฿20.7K

56.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 NZ$1,320

$446 ฿14.9K

74.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 NZ$1,865

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-45.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 NZ$1,736

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-31.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,060 NZ$3,492

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-40.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,872 NZ$3,173

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-26.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,624 NZ$7,838

$494 ฿16.5K

836.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

5.33

26.45%

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

Last update for Rolleston: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Rolleston and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rolleston pays 837% 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: $72.0 in Rolleston vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $291 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

Rolleston vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 837% higher in Rolleston, 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: $973 in Rolleston versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $592 in Rolleston versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Rolleston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,821 in Rolleston, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rolleston. 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 Rolleston, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rolleston 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Rolleston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.