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: $1,182 in Rolleston versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Rolleston versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Rolleston versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Rolleston costs roughly 4% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rolleston 14% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.19 NZ$24.81

$4.41 ฿147

221.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 NZ$121

$32.26 ฿1,077

115.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.98 NZ$15.69

$8.93 ฿298

0.56%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NZ$5.71

$2.90 ฿96.6

12.76%

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

$2.15 NZ$3.76

$0.88 ฿29.38

144.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 NZ$3.22

$0.48 ฿16.06

283.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 NZ$12.43

$2.35 ฿78.5

202.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.30 NZ$11.01

$3.72 ฿124

69.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 NZ$3.12

$1.87 ฿62.3

-4.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NZ$3.35

$1.47 ฿48.94

30.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 NZ$2.69

$1.55 ฿51.8

-0.65%

Eggs

$6.05 NZ$10.58

$2.10 ฿70.1

188.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 NZ$13.77

$19.59 ฿654

-59.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.30 NZ$16.26

$3.42 ฿114

171.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 NZ$24.05

$11.38 ฿380

20.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 NZ$4.65

$2.98 ฿99.6

-10.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 NZ$4.11

$1.68 ฿56.2

39.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 NZ$4.98

$2.21 ฿73.7

28.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 NZ$8.93

$2.16 ฿72.1

136.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.30

$1.52 ฿50.9

24.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 NZ$2.53

$1.34 ฿44.67

8.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 NZ$4.29

$1.13 ฿37.67

117.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 NZ$1.00

$0.55 ฿18.24

3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.77 NZ$43.31

$4.26 ฿142

481.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 NZ$15.07

$19.09 ฿637

-54.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NZ$6.01

$1.78 ฿59.4

93.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 NZ$6.01

$2.78 ฿92.9

23.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 NZ$2.06

$2.23 ฿74.4

-47.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 NZ$4.48

$3.03 ฿101

-15.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 NZ$3.01

$1.02 ฿34.15

68.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 NZ$50.2

$3.89 ฿130

638.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 NZ$3.00

$1.49 ฿49.77

15.44%

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

$25.6K NZ$44.8K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

-3.61%

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

$25.3K NZ$44.3K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-6.26%

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

$112 NZ$195

$102 ฿3,420

8.83%

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

$23.21 NZ$40.58

$11.33 ฿378

104.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.70 NZ$78.1

$17.40 ฿581

156.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 NZ$18.20

$7.69 ฿257

35.37%

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

$340 NZ$595

$561 ฿18.7K

-39.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,021 NZ$12.3K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-38.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 NZ$106

$63.0 ฿2,104

-4.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.54 NZ$62.1

$29.52 ฿986

20.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 NZ$165

$98.0 ฿3,272

-3.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 NZ$222

$88.5 ฿2,954

43.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$285 NZ$498

$738 ฿24.6K

-61.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 NZ$462

$482 ฿16.1K

-45.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 NZ$1,845

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-49.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 NZ$1,989

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-7.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,080 NZ$3,636

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-42.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,822 NZ$3,185

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-30.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,538 NZ$7,934

$494 ฿16.5K

819.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

5.57

6.10%

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

Last update for Rolleston: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $285 in Rolleston and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rolleston pays 819% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Rolleston vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $274 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

Rolleston is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 819% 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: $285 in Rolleston versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $340 in Rolleston versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rolleston – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,182 in Rolleston versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rolleston but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rolleston the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rolleston 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, 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 Rolleston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.