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: $1,878 in Rolleston versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,665 in Rolleston versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,453 in Rolleston versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Rolleston is roughly 52% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rolleston is 40% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.76 NZ$28.49

$4.63 ฿151

261.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.8 NZ$124

$46.84 ฿1,523

55.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 NZ$16.21

$8.84 ฿287

7.92%

Cappuccino

$3.34 NZ$5.67

$3.00 ฿97.4

11.33%

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

$2.22 NZ$3.78

$0.74 ฿24.11

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 NZ$3.38

$0.37 ฿11.88

437.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 NZ$11.95

$2.44 ฿79.3

188.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 NZ$10.21

$3.61 ฿117

66.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 NZ$3.09

$2.26 ฿73.5

-19.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NZ$3.36

$1.84 ฿59.8

7.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$2.98

$2.24 ฿73.0

-21.88%

Eggs

$5.50 NZ$9.36

$2.32 ฿75.3

137.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 NZ$14.44

$19.67 ฿639

-56.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.72 NZ$16.52

$3.65 ฿119

166.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 NZ$22.24

$13.10 ฿426

-0.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 NZ$4.87

$3.39 ฿110

-15.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.84

$1.64 ฿53.4

37.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.26

$2.41 ฿78.5

28.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.77 NZ$9.81

$2.03 ฿66.0

184.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 NZ$3.28

$1.56 ฿50.6

23.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.38

$1.50 ฿48.66

32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 NZ$5.06

$1.02 ฿33.30

192.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.88

$0.49 ฿15.91

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.04 NZ$40.87

$4.45 ฿145

440.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.08 NZ$15.44

$18.88 ฿614

-51.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.78 NZ$6.42

$1.78 ฿57.7

112.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 NZ$6.06

$2.75 ฿89.5

29.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.09 NZ$3.55

$1.40 ฿45.54

49.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 NZ$108

$11.48 ฿373

452.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 NZ$4.67

$3.12 ฿101

-11.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 NZ$1.94

$1.00 ฿32.48

14.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.63 NZ$50.4

$14.09 ฿458

110.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 NZ$2.77

$1.35 ฿43.93

20.74%

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

$19.6K NZ$33.3K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-28.01%

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

$20.0K NZ$34.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-39.20%

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

$102 NZ$174

$125 ฿4,063

-18.25%

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

$31.84 NZ$54.1

$13.57 ฿441

134.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 NZ$91.9

$18.52 ฿602

191.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.15 NZ$61.5

$61.5 ฿1,999

-41.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.08 NZ$20.54

$16.84 ฿547

-28.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.68 NZ$16.46

$9.19 ฿299

5.33%

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

$586 NZ$996

$698 ฿22.7K

-16.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,151 NZ$12.2K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-54.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 NZ$107

$57.8 ฿1,878

8.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.40 NZ$61.9

$35.24 ฿1,146

3.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 NZ$158

$113 ฿3,677

-18.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$205

$86.4 ฿2,808

39.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 NZ$1,658

$616 ฿20.0K

58.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 NZ$1,318

$446 ฿14.5K

73.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 NZ$1,866

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-46.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 NZ$1,740

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-31.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,759 NZ$8,090

$3,779 ฿122.8K

25.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,473 NZ$5,905

$2,649 ฿86.1K

31.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,675 NZ$7,948

$524 ฿17.0K

792.59%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $975 in Rolleston and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rolleston pays 793% 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: $73.0 in Rolleston vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $292 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 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Rolleston pays 793% more on average, 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: $975 in Rolleston versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $586 in Rolleston versus $698 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 $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,878 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 52% less than in Rolleston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.