Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timaru and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,980 in Timaru, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Timaru
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Timaru Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Timaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,980

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Timaru and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Timaru and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,980 in Timaru versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Timaru $1,980
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,925 in Timaru versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Timaru $2,925
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,870 in Timaru versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Timaru $3,870
Phuket $2,867

Living in Timaru is roughly 64% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Timaru is 47% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 NZ$24.41

$4.58 ฿153

201.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 NZ$110

$32.48 ฿1,086

91.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 NZ$18.93

$8.55 ฿286

25.15%

Cappuccino

$3.37 NZ$5.95

$2.72 ฿91.0

23.90%

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

$2.03 NZ$3.59

$0.94 ฿31.25

115.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 NZ$3.20

$0.49 ฿16.39

269.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 NZ$10.11

$2.59 ฿86.6

120.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 NZ$10.81

$3.83 ฿128

59.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 NZ$1.96

$1.74 ฿58.1

-36.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 NZ$3.22

$1.43 ฿47.82

27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 NZ$1.93

$1.53 ฿51.0

-28.76%

Eggs

$5.69 NZ$10.06

$2.17 ฿72.7

162.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.24 NZ$14.57

$19.15 ฿640

-56.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 NZ$16.15

$3.30 ฿110

176.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 NZ$28.89

$11.14 ฿372

46.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 NZ$5.17

$2.95 ฿98.5

-1.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 NZ$4.12

$1.68 ฿56.1

38.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 NZ$5.72

$2.30 ฿76.8

40.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.19 NZ$9.18

$2.13 ฿71.3

143.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$1.53 ฿51.1

22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$1.36 ฿45.55

30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$3.98

$1.12 ฿37.44

100.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 NZ$0.97

$0.55 ฿18.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.75 NZ$36.70

$4.26 ฿142

387.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.63 NZ$9.96

$18.19 ฿608

-69.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 NZ$5.42

$1.74 ฿58.2

76.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 NZ$2.09

$2.79 ฿93.3

-57.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 NZ$2.91

$2.22 ฿74.1

-25.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.4 NZ$163

$22.06 ฿737

318.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 NZ$4.04

$2.91 ฿97.3

-21.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NZ$3.68

$1.01 ฿33.79

105.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.65 NZ$48.90

$3.83 ฿128

621.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 NZ$2.61

$1.49 ฿49.85

-0.67%

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

$24.8K NZ$43.9K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-6.87%

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

$24.9K NZ$44.1K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-6.62%

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

$110 NZ$194

$99.4 ฿3,321

10.45%

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

$22.70 NZ$40.15

$11.28 ฿377

101.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 NZ$90.9

$17.36 ฿580

196.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.87 NZ$68.7

$52.3 ฿1,747

-25.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 NZ$17.98

$7.57 ฿253

34.35%

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

$579 NZ$1,025

$558 ฿18.7K

3.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K NZ$30.3K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

48.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 NZ$105

$62.9 ฿2,102

-5.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.65 NZ$61.3

$28.58 ฿955

21.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 NZ$161

$96.1 ฿3,213

-5.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 NZ$234

$88.1 ฿2,943

50.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 NZ$1,550

$729 ฿24.4K

20.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$946 NZ$1,674

$460 ฿15.4K

105.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 NZ$2,857

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-22.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 NZ$2,670

$1,222 ฿40.8K

23.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,303 NZ$7,610

$3,459 ฿115.6K

24.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,018 NZ$5,337

$2,489 ฿83.2K

21.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Timaru

$946 47.8%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 51.4% $486

Groceries & Markets

Timaru

$297 15%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 9.9% $29

Eating Out

Timaru

$239 12.1%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 49.3% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Timaru

$184 9.3%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 30.4% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Timaru

$143 7.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 13% $19

Getting Around

Timaru

$112 5.6%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 65.2% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Timaru

$59 3%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 13.9% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $877 in Timaru and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Timaru vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Timaru

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

05:43 5:43 AM

6 h behind Timaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,600

79,308

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Timaru Phuket 9,290 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Timaru
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and clothing. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,970 in Timaru and $1,811 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: $877 in Timaru versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $579 in Timaru versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Timaru. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,980 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 64% less than in Timaru. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.