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: $1,967 in Whanganui versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,974 in Whanganui versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,982 in Whanganui versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Whanganui is roughly 60% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Whanganui is 44% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.39 NZ$25.16

$4.41 ฿147

226.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 NZ$118

$32.26 ฿1,077

109.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 NZ$15.53

$8.93 ฿298

-0.56%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$5.97

$2.90 ฿96.6

17.59%

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

$2.30 NZ$4.02

$0.88 ฿29.38

161.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 NZ$3.04

$0.48 ฿16.06

262.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 NZ$10.07

$2.35 ฿78.5

145.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 NZ$9.70

$3.72 ฿124

49.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 NZ$2.45

$1.87 ฿62.3

-25.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 NZ$1.72

$1.47 ฿48.94

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 NZ$2.04

$1.55 ฿51.8

-25.16%

Eggs

$5.47 NZ$9.56

$2.10 ฿70.1

160.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.81 NZ$10.16

$19.59 ฿654

-70.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 NZ$16.56

$3.42 ฿114

176.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 NZ$27.57

$11.38 ฿380

38.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.92

$2.98 ฿99.6

-24.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 NZ$3.51

$1.68 ฿56.2

19.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 NZ$3.35

$2.21 ฿73.7

-13.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 NZ$6.13

$2.16 ฿72.1

62.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 NZ$3.04

$1.52 ฿50.9

14.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 NZ$2.32

$1.34 ฿44.67

-0.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 NZ$3.64

$1.13 ฿37.67

84.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 NZ$0.92

$0.55 ฿18.24

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.08 NZ$42.10

$4.26 ฿142

465.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 NZ$17.82

$19.09 ฿637

-46.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 NZ$4.61

$1.78 ฿59.4

48.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 NZ$4.09

$2.78 ฿92.9

-15.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 NZ$2.91

$2.23 ฿74.4

-25.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.0 NZ$170

$22.74 ฿759

326.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 NZ$3.38

$3.03 ฿101

-36.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.22

$1.02 ฿34.15

80.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.91 NZ$61.0

$3.89 ฿130

797.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 NZ$2.82

$1.49 ฿49.77

8.05%

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

$25.5K NZ$44.6K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

-3.98%

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

$26.3K NZ$45.9K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-2.77%

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

$201 NZ$352

$102 ฿3,420

96.56%

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

$32.91 NZ$57.5

$11.33 ฿378

190.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.14 NZ$84.2

$17.40 ฿581

176.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.64 NZ$69.3

$52.1 ฿1,738

-23.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 NZ$10.22

$7.69 ฿257

-23.93%

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

$1,091 NZ$1,908

$561 ฿18.7K

94.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K NZ$22.9K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

14.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 NZ$142

$63.0 ฿2,104

29.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.22 NZ$51.1

$29.52 ฿986

-1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 NZ$181

$98.0 ฿3,272

5.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NZ$280

$88.5 ฿2,954

80.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 NZ$1,651

$738 ฿24.6K

27.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$855 NZ$1,495

$482 ฿16.1K

77.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 NZ$2,902

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-21.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 NZ$2,606

$1,226 ฿40.9K

21.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,176 NZ$7,300

$3,617 ฿120.7K

15.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,147 NZ$5,502

$2,603 ฿86.9K

20.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

5.57

-3.23%

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

Last update for Whanganui: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $945 in Whanganui and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Whanganui vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $274, 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,950 in Whanganui 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: $945 in Whanganui versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,091 in Whanganui versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Whanganui pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,967 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 60% less than in Whanganui. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.