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: $2,062 in Timaru versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,176 in Timaru versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,291 in Timaru versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Timaru is roughly 67% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Timaru is 54% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.15 NZ$25.75

$4.63 ฿151

227.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 NZ$136

$46.84 ฿1,523

70.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 NZ$16.57

$8.84 ฿287

10.18%

Cappuccino

$3.34 NZ$5.67

$3.00 ฿97.4

11.33%

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

$2.24 NZ$3.80

$0.74 ฿24.11

202.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 NZ$3.24

$0.37 ฿11.88

416.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 NZ$10.12

$2.44 ฿79.3

144.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 NZ$10.42

$3.61 ฿117

69.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 NZ$2.77

$2.26 ฿73.5

-27.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 NZ$3.22

$1.84 ฿59.8

3.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 NZ$2.10

$2.24 ฿73.0

-44.64%

Eggs

$6.32 NZ$10.74

$2.32 ฿75.3

172.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 NZ$17.12

$19.67 ฿639

-48.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.80 NZ$18.36

$3.65 ฿119

195.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.94 NZ$28.80

$13.10 ฿426

29.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 NZ$4.35

$3.39 ฿110

-24.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 NZ$4.16

$1.64 ฿53.4

49.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.26

$2.41 ฿78.5

28.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.76 NZ$9.80

$2.03 ฿66.0

183.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NZ$4.62

$1.56 ฿50.6

74.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.01

$1.50 ฿48.66

57.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NZ$4.85

$1.02 ฿33.30

179.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$1.96

$0.49 ฿15.91

134.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.17 NZ$49.59

$4.45 ฿145

555.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.45 NZ$12.66

$18.88 ฿614

-60.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.73 NZ$8.04

$1.78 ฿57.7

165.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 NZ$12.12

$2.75 ฿89.5

159.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 NZ$3.51

$1.40 ฿45.54

47.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 NZ$107

$11.48 ฿373

450.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 NZ$4.76

$3.12 ฿101

-10.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 NZ$1.93

$1.00 ฿32.48

13.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.53 NZ$53.6

$14.09 ฿458

123.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 NZ$2.73

$1.35 ฿43.93

18.52%

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

$30.0K NZ$51.0K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

10.39%

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

$17.8K NZ$30.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-45.80%

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

$187 NZ$319

$125 ฿4,063

49.94%

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

$23.66 NZ$40.23

$13.57 ฿441

74.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 NZ$102

$18.52 ฿602

222.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.19 NZ$61.5

$61.5 ฿1,999

-41.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.94 NZ$20.30

$16.84 ฿547

-29.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.12 NZ$22.30

$9.19 ฿299

42.76%

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

$483 NZ$822

$698 ฿22.7K

-30.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,081 NZ$12.0K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-54.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 NZ$150

$57.8 ฿1,878

52.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.20 NZ$83.6

$35.24 ฿1,146

39.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 NZ$163

$113 ฿3,677

-15.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$278 NZ$472

$86.4 ฿2,808

221.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 NZ$1,627

$616 ฿20.0K

55.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 NZ$1,349

$446 ฿14.5K

77.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 NZ$2,719

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-21.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 NZ$2,440

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-3.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,786 NZ$8,135

$3,779 ฿122.8K

26.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,377 NZ$5,741

$2,649 ฿86.1K

27.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Timaru and $616 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 $360 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

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 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,093 in Timaru and $1,847 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: $957 in Timaru versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $483 in Timaru 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 23% higher in Timaru. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,062 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 67% less than in Timaru. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.