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: $1,924 in Timaru versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,932 in Timaru versus $2,078 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,940 in Timaru versus $2,896 in Phuket.

Living in Timaru is roughly 53% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.80 NZ$24.86

$4.43 ฿145

234.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 NZ$108

$35.07 ฿1,151

82.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 NZ$18.68

$8.96 ฿294

24.11%

Cappuccino

$3.31 NZ$5.56

$3.00 ฿98.4

10.33%

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

$2.10 NZ$3.52

$0.77 ฿25.33

172.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 NZ$3.12

$0.47 ฿15.44

295.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 NZ$9.69

$2.40 ฿78.6

140.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 NZ$9.64

$3.75 ฿123

53.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 NZ$1.93

$1.82 ฿59.8

-36.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 NZ$2.94

$1.42 ฿46.65

23.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 NZ$2.03

$1.55 ฿50.8

-21.94%

Eggs

$5.74 NZ$9.63

$2.13 ฿69.9

169.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 NZ$13.69

$19.76 ฿648

-58.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.88 NZ$16.59

$3.48 ฿114

183.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.31 NZ$29.07

$11.09 ฿364

56.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.25

$2.91 ฿95.5

7.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 NZ$3.98

$1.66 ฿54.6

42.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 NZ$5.58

$2.27 ฿74.5

46.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 NZ$8.88

$2.10 ฿68.8

151.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.34

$1.47 ฿48.24

35.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 NZ$3.23

$1.41 ฿46.29

36.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 NZ$4.02

$1.09 ฿35.78

120.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 NZ$1.08

$0.54 ฿17.58

18.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.73 NZ$36.50

$4.48 ฿147

385.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.96 NZ$10.00

$18.72 ฿614

-68.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 NZ$5.46

$1.84 ฿60.4

76.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 NZ$2.13

$2.95 ฿96.7

-56.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 NZ$2.94

$2.26 ฿74.1

-22.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.9 NZ$158

$23.07 ฿757

306.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 NZ$4.03

$3.04 ฿99.9

-21.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 NZ$3.16

$1.09 ฿35.82

72.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.95 NZ$48.62

$3.82 ฿125

657.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 NZ$2.73

$1.49 ฿48.79

9.40%

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

$26.0K NZ$43.7K

$27.4K ฿900.3K

-5.20%

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

$27.0K NZ$45.4K

$27.5K ฿902.7K

-1.73%

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

$97.8 NZ$164

$102 ฿3,340

-3.91%

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

$23.44 NZ$39.37

$11.28 ฿370

107.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 NZ$90.2

$17.75 ฿582

202.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.86 NZ$66.9

$54.2 ฿1,777

-26.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

Cinema Ticket

$10.88 NZ$18.27

$7.85 ฿258

38.60%

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

$624 NZ$1,049

$577 ฿18.9K

8.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K NZ$24.8K

$11.6K ฿381.6K

27.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 NZ$97.5

$65.4 ฿2,144

-11.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.11 NZ$62.3

$28.89 ฿948

28.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 NZ$158

$99.1 ฿3,250

-5.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 NZ$238

$90.3 ฿2,961

56.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 NZ$1,714

$756 ฿24.8K

35.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$844 NZ$1,418

$487 ฿16.0K

73.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 NZ$2,645

$2,085 ฿68.4K

-24.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NZ$2,634

$1,207 ฿39.6K

29.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 NZ$7,600

$3,591 ฿117.8K

26.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,364 NZ$5,648

$2,610 ฿85.6K

28.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

5.57

26.93%

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

Last update for Timaru: August 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Timaru and $756 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Timaru vs $35.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $272 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,886 in Timaru and $1,891 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: $1,020 in Timaru versus $756 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Timaru versus $577 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Timaru. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,924 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 53% less than in Timaru. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.