Cost of Living Comparison Between Whanganui and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Whanganui and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,701 in Whanganui versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,719 in Whanganui versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Whanganui versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Whanganui is roughly 38% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Whanganui is 27% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.09 NZ$25.65

$4.63 ฿151

225.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.7 NZ$122

$46.84 ฿1,523

53.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 NZ$15.19

$8.84 ฿287

1.13%

Cappuccino

$3.25 NZ$5.52

$3.00 ฿97.4

8.33%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.05

$0.74 ฿24.11

221.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 NZ$2.83

$0.37 ฿11.88

348.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.85 NZ$8.24

$2.44 ฿79.3

98.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 NZ$8.96

$3.61 ฿117

45.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.94

$2.26 ฿73.5

-23.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 NZ$2.80

$1.84 ฿59.8

-10.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.38

$2.24 ฿73.0

-11.16%

Eggs

$5.88 NZ$10.00

$2.32 ฿75.3

153.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 NZ$12.73

$19.67 ฿639

-61.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 NZ$15.83

$3.65 ฿119

155.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.52 NZ$21.29

$13.10 ฿426

-4.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 NZ$4.05

$3.39 ฿110

-29.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.23

$1.64 ฿53.4

15.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 NZ$4.31

$2.41 ฿78.5

4.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 NZ$5.80

$2.03 ฿66.0

67.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 NZ$3.69

$1.56 ฿50.6

39.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.68

$1.50 ฿48.66

44.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 NZ$3.49

$1.02 ฿33.30

100.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 NZ$0.95

$0.49 ฿15.91

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.65 NZ$35.11

$4.45 ฿145

364.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.53 NZ$17.91

$18.88 ฿614

-44.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 NZ$4.31

$1.78 ฿57.7

42.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 NZ$4.46

$2.75 ฿89.5

-4.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 NZ$3.64

$1.40 ฿45.54

52.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.2 NZ$109

$11.48 ฿373

459.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 NZ$4.72

$3.12 ฿101

-10.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NZ$3.16

$1.00 ฿32.48

86.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.68 NZ$60.7

$14.09 ฿458

153.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.93

$1.35 ฿43.93

28.15%

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

$27.7K NZ$47.1K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

1.81%

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

$23.2K NZ$39.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-29.46%

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

$117 NZ$198

$125 ฿4,063

-6.65%

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

$36.89 NZ$62.7

$13.57 ฿441

171.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.38 NZ$82.3

$18.52 ฿602

161.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.83 NZ$62.6

$61.5 ฿1,999

-40.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.17 NZ$20.69

$16.84 ฿547

-27.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 NZ$12.66

$9.19 ฿299

-18.93%

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

$362 NZ$616

$698 ฿22.7K

-48.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K NZ$20.8K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-21.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.5 NZ$117

$57.8 ฿1,878

18.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.87 NZ$62.7

$35.24 ฿1,146

4.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 NZ$165

$113 ฿3,677

-14.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 NZ$215

$86.4 ฿2,808

46.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 NZ$2,085

$616 ฿20.0K

99.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 NZ$1,217

$446 ฿14.5K

60.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 NZ$2,713

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-22.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 NZ$2,316

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-8.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,407 NZ$2,392

$524 ฿17.0K

168.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

5.33

25.52%

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

Last update for Whanganui: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,226 in Whanganui and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Whanganui pays 169% 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: $72.0 in Whanganui vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $287 vs $292, with Whanganui cheaper for home cooking.

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

Whanganui vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Whanganui pays 169% 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: $1,226 in Whanganui versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $362 in Whanganui versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Whanganui pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,701 in Whanganui, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Whanganui. 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 Whanganui, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Whanganui 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 38% less than in Whanganui. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.