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: $1,737 in Whanganui versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,690 in Whanganui versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,643 in Whanganui versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Whanganui is roughly 37% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Whanganui is 31% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.88 NZ$25.23

$4.48 ฿150

232.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 NZ$120

$45.59 ฿1,521

55.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 NZ$15.68

$8.76 ฿292

5.59%

Cappuccino

$3.23 NZ$5.48

$2.97 ฿99.0

8.75%

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

$2.36 NZ$4.00

$0.69 ฿22.90

242.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 NZ$2.97

$0.39 ฿13.04

348.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 NZ$8.28

$2.53 ฿84.4

92.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 NZ$9.41

$3.75 ฿125

48.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 NZ$2.85

$2.15 ฿71.6

-21.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 NZ$2.64

$1.82 ฿60.6

-14.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.33

$2.18 ฿72.9

-9.63%

Eggs

$5.93 NZ$10.05

$2.25 ฿75.0

163.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.18 NZ$12.16

$20.00 ฿667

-64.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 NZ$15.34

$3.63 ฿121

149.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 NZ$21.28

$13.56 ฿452

-7.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 NZ$4.16

$3.24 ฿108

-24.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 NZ$3.19

$1.64 ฿54.6

14.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 NZ$4.14

$2.33 ฿77.8

4.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 NZ$5.93

$2.07 ฿69.1

69.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.65

$1.55 ฿51.6

39.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.77

$1.46 ฿48.54

52.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 NZ$3.57

$0.98 ฿32.86

114.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 NZ$0.94

$0.48 ฿16.09

14.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.38 NZ$34.54

$4.35 ฿145

368.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.08 NZ$17.08

$18.57 ฿620

-45.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 NZ$4.14

$1.86 ฿61.9

31.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 NZ$4.58

$2.65 ฿88.6

1.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 NZ$3.53

$1.42 ฿47.28

46.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.7 NZ$108

$11.57 ฿386

450.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 NZ$4.50

$3.17 ฿106

-16.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.02

$1.03 ฿34.41

72.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.95 NZ$59.3

$13.89 ฿463

151.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.79

$1.34 ฿44.84

23.13%

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

$26.6K NZ$45.1K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-4.27%

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

$23.3K NZ$39.6K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-30.09%

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

$117 NZ$198

$123 ฿4,105

-5.22%

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

$37.25 NZ$63.1

$13.77 ฿459

170.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.56 NZ$80.6

$18.33 ฿611

159.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.77 NZ$62.3

$60.7 ฿2,025

-39.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.93 NZ$20.22

$17.16 ฿573

-30.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 NZ$12.07

$8.87 ฿296

-19.73%

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

$367 NZ$622

$688 ฿22.9K

-46.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K NZ$20.1K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-24.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 NZ$117

$59.3 ฿1,978

16.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.45 NZ$61.8

$34.69 ฿1,157

5.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 NZ$164

$115 ฿3,843

-15.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 NZ$217

$83.8 ฿2,794

52.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 NZ$2,053

$621 ฿20.7K

94.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 NZ$1,246

$446 ฿14.9K

64.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 NZ$2,612

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-24.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 NZ$2,325

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-8.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,211 in Whanganui and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Whanganui vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $291, 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 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,606 in Whanganui 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: $1,211 in Whanganui versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $367 in Whanganui versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Whanganui pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,737 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 37% less than in Whanganui. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.