Cost of Living Comparison Between Timaru and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Timaru and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,030 in Timaru versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,179 in Timaru versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,329 in Timaru versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Timaru is roughly 61% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Timaru is 51% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.90 NZ$25.44

$4.56 ฿149

226.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 NZ$136

$46.63 ฿1,519

71.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.78 NZ$16.70

$8.47 ฿276

15.47%

Cappuccino

$3.37 NZ$5.76

$3.03 ฿98.6

11.22%

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

$2.24 NZ$3.82

$0.69 ฿22.45

224.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 NZ$3.26

$0.37 ฿11.92

416.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 NZ$10.17

$2.49 ฿81.0

138.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 NZ$10.44

$3.66 ฿119

66.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 NZ$2.77

$2.18 ฿71.0

-25.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 NZ$3.36

$1.90 ฿62.0

3.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 NZ$2.09

$2.20 ฿71.6

-44.55%

Eggs

$6.55 NZ$11.19

$2.22 ฿72.4

195.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 NZ$16.97

$19.99 ฿651

-50.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.60 NZ$18.10

$3.66 ฿119

189.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.95 NZ$28.95

$13.25 ฿432

27.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 NZ$4.40

$3.23 ฿105

-20.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 NZ$4.15

$1.70 ฿55.3

42.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 NZ$5.23

$2.39 ฿78.0

28.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.69 NZ$9.71

$2.08 ฿67.7

173.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 NZ$4.60

$1.59 ฿51.8

69.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.03

$1.48 ฿48.31

59.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 NZ$4.95

$1.03 ฿33.54

181.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NZ$1.98

$0.52 ฿16.83

123.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.99 NZ$49.50

$4.25 ฿138

582.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 NZ$12.38

$18.79 ฿612

-61.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.61 NZ$7.88

$1.76 ฿57.2

161.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 NZ$12.06

$2.76 ฿89.8

155.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$1.36 ฿44.32

52.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 NZ$111

$11.36 ฿370

473.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 NZ$4.85

$3.14 ฿102

-9.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 NZ$1.89

$1.04 ฿33.74

6.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.80 NZ$54.3

$13.77 ฿448

130.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 NZ$2.78

$1.34 ฿43.79

21.64%

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

$29.6K NZ$50.5K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

6.95%

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

$17.7K NZ$30.3K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-47.66%

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

$188 NZ$320

$124 ฿4,025

51.74%

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

$24.29 NZ$41.47

$13.52 ฿440

79.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 NZ$102

$18.69 ฿609

218.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.94 NZ$63.1

$61.8 ฿2,013

-40.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 NZ$20.85

$17.25 ฿562

-29.22%

Cinema Ticket

$13.19 NZ$22.53

$9.14 ฿298

44.31%

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

$486 NZ$830

$703 ฿22.9K

-30.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,027 NZ$12.0K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-55.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.0 NZ$152

$59.5 ฿1,937

49.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 NZ$85.7

$35.07 ฿1,142

43.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 NZ$163

$115 ฿3,754

-17.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$276 NZ$471

$84.1 ฿2,737

227.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$962 NZ$1,642

$619 ฿20.1K

55.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 NZ$1,321

$433 ฿14.1K

78.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 NZ$2,681

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-23.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 NZ$2,452

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-4.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,455 NZ$7,608

$3,646 ฿118.7K

22.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,338 NZ$5,700

$2,626 ฿85.5K

27.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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 Timaru: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $962 in Timaru and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in Timaru vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $293 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

Timaru 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 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,044 in Timaru and $1,892 in Phuket 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: $962 in Timaru versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $486 in Timaru versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Timaru. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,030 in Timaru, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Timaru. 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 Timaru, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Timaru 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 61% less than in Timaru. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.