Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,354 in Wellington versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,553 in Wellington versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,751 in Wellington versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Wellington is roughly 86% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Wellington is 76% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 NZ$29.21

$4.70 ฿153

268.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 NZ$143

$45.37 ฿1,482

86.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 NZ$16.49

$8.43 ฿275

15.90%

Cappuccino

$3.80 NZ$6.41

$2.93 ฿95.6

29.69%

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

$2.60 NZ$4.40

$0.69 ฿22.40

276.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NZ$3.68

$0.37 ฿11.99

489.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 NZ$11.88

$2.41 ฿78.6

191.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 NZ$12.59

$3.72 ฿122

100.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.15

$2.23 ฿72.9

-16.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 NZ$3.56

$1.83 ฿59.8

15.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.30

$2.17 ฿70.8

-10.14%

Eggs

$6.88 NZ$11.62

$2.21 ฿72.3

211.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 NZ$13.73

$19.74 ฿645

-58.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.06 NZ$18.67

$3.63 ฿119

204.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 NZ$22.19

$13.53 ฿442

-2.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.27

$3.28 ฿107

-4.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.78

$1.61 ฿52.6

39.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NZ$5.05

$2.41 ฿78.6

24.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 NZ$7.97

$2.08 ฿68.1

126.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.49

$1.53 ฿49.93

35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.80

$1.48 ฿48.36

12.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.73

$0.99 ฿32.29

123.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NZ$2.17

$0.51 ฿16.67

150.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.87 NZ$45.36

$4.41 ฿144

509.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 NZ$19.82

$19.38 ฿633

-39.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NZ$5.95

$1.78 ฿58.1

97.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NZ$5.37

$2.71 ฿88.6

17.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.64

$1.37 ฿44.79

100.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 NZ$181

$11.39 ฿372

840.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 NZ$4.50

$3.02 ฿98.6

-11.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.13

$0.99 ฿32.48

86.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 NZ$102

$14.10 ฿461

328.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.89

$1.36 ฿44.51

25.74%

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

$33.6K NZ$56.7K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

19.19%

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

$24.6K NZ$41.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-25.29%

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

$160 NZ$270

$122 ฿3,975

31.64%

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

$32.55 NZ$55.0

$13.57 ฿443

139.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 NZ$87.0

$18.31 ฿598

181.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 NZ$62.1

$60.2 ฿1,967

-38.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.60 NZ$34.78

$17.14 ฿560

20.19%

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 NZ$20.55

$8.69 ฿284

40.05%

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

$800 NZ$1,351

$693 ฿22.6K

15.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NZ$21.4K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-19.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 NZ$124

$59.5 ฿1,944

23.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 NZ$89.7

$34.77 ฿1,136

52.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 NZ$201

$115 ฿3,743

3.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$239

$83.3 ฿2,720

69.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 NZ$2,261

$613 ฿20.0K

118.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 NZ$1,865

$437 ฿14.3K

152.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 NZ$3,551

$2,094 ฿68.4K

0.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 NZ$3,188

$1,509 ฿49.3K

25.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,602 NZ$11.1K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

76.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,897 NZ$6,579

$2,616 ฿85.4K

48.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,057 NZ$5,161

$508 ฿16.6K

501.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

5.33

30.21%

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

Last update for Wellington: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,339 in Wellington and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 502% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Wellington vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 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

Wellington 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 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Wellington pays 502% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,339 in Wellington versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $800 in Wellington versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,354 in Wellington, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wellington. 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 Wellington, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Wellington 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 86% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.