Compare · New Zealand vs Thailand
New Zealand vs Thailand for Australians leaving home
The regimes are genuinely different: New Zealand is a worldwide tax system while Thailand runs remittance-basis tax, which of your income streams each one actually touches matters more than any headline rate.
Both have a tax treaty with Australia, so either way you get a tie-breaker if the ATO contests your departure, and capped withholding (15%/10% vs 15%/10% on unfranked dividends/interest).
Thailand is the cheaper place to live day to day, roughly 50% of Sydney's basket against New Zealand's 90% (indicative, ex-rent), which can outweigh a thinner tax saving over a full household budget.
Personalise this, enter your numbers once and every figure below becomes yours: “your estimated income tax: $14,200”, not “0, 22%”. Open the Country Comparison tool →
| 2 destinations | New ZealandNew Zealand | ThailandThailand |
|---|---|---|
| Tax | ||
| Regime | worldwide, taxes worldwide income | remittance, worldwide income not taxed |
| Income tax on salary | Progressive 10.5, 39%. No tax-free threshold at all (the first dollar is taxed) but effective rates at middle incomes land close to Australia's. | Progressive 0, 35% on Thai-source salary. A THB 2m (~A$87k) salary pays roughly 18% effective after standard allowances. |
| Capital gains | No general CGT: long-term share gains untaxed. Exceptions: traders, property inside the bright-line window, and the FIF deemed-return regime on non-ASX foreign shares over NZ$50k. (0% typical) | Gains on SET-listed Thai shares are exempt. Foreign share gains earned from 2024 are taxable at progressive rates in the year remitted. (15% typical) |
| Dividends | Dividends taxed at marginal rates. NZ imputation works like franking; Australian franking credits are NOT usable in NZ, a long-standing trans-Tasman sore point. | Thai dividends: 10% final withholding. Foreign dividends: progressive rates when remitted, with a treaty credit for Australian tax already paid. |
| Interest | Taxed locally around 33% | Taxed locally around 15% |
| Crypto | No CGT does not mean crypto-free: IRD treats most crypto as bought with intent to sell, making gains taxable income at marginal rates. The onus of proving otherwise is on you. | Crypto gains are assessable income at progressive rates, with 15% withholding on some disposals. Trades on SEC-licensed Thai exchanges have enjoyed temporary exemptions. Foreign-exchange crypto gains follow the remittance rules, taxable when brought in. |
| Australia tax treaty | Yes, AU withholding capped at 15% dividends / 10% interest, tie-breaker available | Yes, AU withholding capped at 15% dividends / 10% interest, tie-breaker available |
| Social security | No social security tax; ACC earner levy (~1.6%) applies to employment income. KiwiSaver is opt-in for migrants. | Employees pay a capped social security contribution (max THB 750/month), negligible for planning. |
| Visa | ||
| Best pathways |
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| Visa ease | 10/10 | 7/10 |
| Family on visas | Dependants covered on main pathways | Dependants covered on main pathways |
| Fastest timeline | ~0 months on the quickest pathway | ~1 month on the quickest pathway |
| Money | ||
| Rent (family home, monthly) | $3,300/mo | $2,800/mo |
| Rent (couple, monthly) | $2,300/mo | $1,500/mo |
| International school (per child/yr) | Free / local system viable | $22,000 |
| Health cover (family/yr) | $3,000 | $5,500 |
| Cost of living vs Sydney | 90% of Sydney (ex-rent) | 50% of Sydney (ex-rent) |
| Relocation one-off | ~$12,000 | ~$15,000 |
| Flights home (return, pp) | $500 | $1,300 |
| Life | ||
| Timezone vs AEST | 2h ahead | 3h behind |
| Flight from Sydney | ~3 hours | ~9.5 hours |
| English | 10/10 | 5/10 |
| Safety | 9/10 | 6/10 |
| Healthcare | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Schooling | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Climate | Temperate maritime, Auckland is mild and wet; the South Island does real winters. | Tropical: hot season to 40°C, monsoon June, October, pleasant November, February. |
Costs, rates and visa figures are country-module data marked indicative until individually verified; FX and rental markets move constantly.
Honest downsides, side by side
Every destination hub on this site carries its downsides in the open. Here are both lists together, because the right question is rarely “which is better?” and usually “which set of problems would you rather live with?”
New Zealand
- The tax saving is thinner than it looks: no CGT is real, but income rates are Australia-like, there is no tax-free threshold, and salaries are 15, 25% lower for the same role.
- The ATO treats a hop to Auckland with scepticism, same time zone, 3-hour flights, easy return; your "permanent departure" evidence needs to be stronger, not weaker, than for Dubai.
- Auckland housing rivals Sydney for unaffordability, and the cost-of-living basket is not meaningfully cheaper.
- Earthquake and weather-event risk is priced into insurance, and the economy is small, career ceilings arrive quickly outside a few sectors.
Thailand
- The 2024 remittance change turned Thailand from "de facto tax-free" into a real tax system overnight, and the rules are still settling, which is exactly the uncertainty you moved to avoid.
- Visa policy churns: rules on extensions, insurance and financial proof change frequently and vary by immigration office.
- Air quality in Bangkok and especially Chiang Mai (burning season, Feb, April) is a genuine health issue.
- You will never be more than a guest: property freehold is off-limits for land, and permanent residency/citizenship are rare in practice.
Make this comparison yours
The table above shows the general figures. Enter your income and family once and the tax rows become your numbers, “your estimated income tax in Auckland: $14,200”, not a range.