Cost of Living Comparison Between Wairoa and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Wairoa and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,890 in Wairoa versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,944 in Wairoa versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,998 in Wairoa versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Wairoa is roughly 49% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Wairoa is 42% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.86 NZ$25.19

$4.48 ฿150

231.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 NZ$132

$45.59 ฿1,521

70.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.49 NZ$16.08

$8.76 ฿292

8.33%

Cappuccino

$3.43 NZ$5.81

$2.97 ฿99.0

15.49%

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

$2.35 NZ$3.99

$0.69 ฿22.90

240.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 NZ$3.59

$0.39 ฿13.04

443.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 NZ$11.91

$2.53 ฿84.4

177.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.35 NZ$10.77

$3.75 ฿125

69.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 NZ$3.09

$2.15 ฿71.6

-15.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 NZ$3.23

$1.82 ฿60.6

4.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.23

$2.18 ฿72.9

-12.84%

Eggs

$6.16 NZ$10.45

$2.25 ฿75.0

173.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 NZ$14.03

$20.00 ฿667

-58.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 NZ$16.70

$3.63 ฿121

171.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 NZ$22.20

$13.56 ฿452

-3.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 NZ$4.72

$3.24 ฿108

-14.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.75

$1.64 ฿54.6

34.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 NZ$5.15

$2.33 ฿77.8

30.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 NZ$7.79

$2.07 ฿69.1

121.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 NZ$3.38

$1.55 ฿51.6

29.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.31

$1.46 ฿48.54

33.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 NZ$3.68

$0.98 ฿32.86

121.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NZ$1.96

$0.48 ฿16.09

141.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.42 NZ$41.40

$4.35 ฿145

461.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.52 NZ$16.13

$18.57 ฿620

-48.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 NZ$4.43

$1.86 ฿61.9

40.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 NZ$6.32

$2.65 ฿88.6

40.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 NZ$3.61

$1.42 ฿47.28

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.0 NZ$107

$11.57 ฿386

444.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NZ$4.57

$3.17 ฿106

-14.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.13

$1.03 ฿34.41

78.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.19 NZ$59.7

$13.89 ฿463

153.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.82

$1.34 ฿44.84

23.88%

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

$28.6K NZ$48.5K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

2.96%

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

$22.3K NZ$37.7K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-33.33%

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

$141 NZ$239

$123 ฿4,105

14.45%

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

$35.49 NZ$60.2

$13.77 ฿459

157.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 NZ$88.9

$18.33 ฿611

186.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.57 NZ$62.0

$60.7 ฿2,025

-39.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.23 NZ$20.72

$17.16 ฿573

-28.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.93 NZ$18.53

$8.87 ฿296

23.22%

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

$734 NZ$1,244

$688 ฿22.9K

6.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K NZ$20.5K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-23.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 NZ$115

$59.3 ฿1,978

14.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.79 NZ$64.1

$34.69 ฿1,157

8.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 NZ$160

$115 ฿3,843

-17.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 NZ$200

$83.8 ฿2,794

40.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 NZ$1,625

$621 ฿20.7K

54.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$781 NZ$1,325

$446 ฿14.9K

75.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 NZ$2,694

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-21.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 NZ$2,466

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-2.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,522 NZ$7,665

$3,455 ฿115.3K

30.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,458 NZ$5,862

$2,531 ฿84.4K

36.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿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 Wairoa: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $958 in Wairoa and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Wairoa vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $291 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

Wairoa 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 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,835 in Wairoa and $1,896 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: $958 in Wairoa versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $734 in Wairoa versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Wairoa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,890 in Wairoa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wairoa. 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 Wairoa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Wairoa 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 49% less than in Wairoa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.