Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,737 in Burlington, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Burlington
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Burlington Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Burlington

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,737

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Burlington and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Burlington and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,737 per month in Burlington vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Burlington $2,737
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $3,881 per month in Burlington vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Burlington $3,881
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $5,025 per month in Burlington vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Burlington $5,025
Phuket $3,154

Burlington costs about 114% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Burlington sits 101% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.84 CA$30.65

$4.47 ฿151

388.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.3 CA$101

$32.41 ฿1,094

122.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 CA$14.87

$8.81 ฿297

20.32%

Cappuccino

$3.31 CA$4.64

$2.83 ฿95.5

16.96%

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

$2.00 CA$2.81

$0.87 ฿29.43

129.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.18

$0.49 ฿16.67

216.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 CA$7.82

$2.56 ฿86.4

117.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 CA$8.57

$3.68 ฿124

66.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.60 CA$3.65

$1.66 ฿56.0

56.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 CA$4.01

$1.46 ฿49.35

95.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.31

$1.50 ฿50.6

152.00%

Eggs

$3.76 CA$5.27

$2.09 ฿70.5

79.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 CA$14.03

$19.07 ฿644

-47.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.59 CA$14.86

$3.30 ฿111

220.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.78 CA$20.74

$10.91 ฿368

35.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.38

$2.93 ฿99.0

30.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 CA$2.08

$1.69 ฿57.1

-12.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 CA$3.75

$2.25 ฿75.8

18.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.12

$2.08 ฿70.1

75.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 CA$2.75

$1.51 ฿51.0

29.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 CA$2.70

$1.38 ฿46.56

39.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 CA$2.93

$1.07 ฿35.99

95.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.07

$0.52 ฿17.52

182.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.64 CA$19.15

$4.20 ฿142

224.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.79 CA$15.15

$18.79 ฿634

-42.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 CA$3.94

$1.82 ฿61.5

53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 CA$4.10

$2.84 ฿95.9

2.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 CA$3.71

$1.45 ฿49.03

82.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 CA$140

$56.7 ฿1,913

76.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 CA$7.15

$3.02 ฿102

68.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 CA$3.42

$1.02 ฿34.36

139.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.32 CA$60.8

$3.69 ฿125

1073.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.67

$1.47 ฿49.81

-19.05%

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

$27.8K CA$39.0K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

3.78%

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

$21.7K CA$30.5K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-18.56%

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

$144 CA$202

$96.4 ฿3,254

49.42%

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

$44.16 CA$62.0

$11.26 ฿380

292.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 CA$94.6

$16.85 ฿569

300.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.66 CA$61.3

$67.2 ฿2,270

-35.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.23 CA$42.42

$10.73 ฿362

181.73%

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 CA$22.64

$7.50 ฿253

115.07%

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

$902 CA$1,266

$476 ฿16.1K

89.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K CA$26.7K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

68.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 CA$97.2

$62.4 ฿2,106

11.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.5 CA$91.9

$28.41 ฿959

130.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CA$140

$94.3 ฿3,184

6.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 CA$140

$85.8 ฿2,898

16.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,729 CA$2,426

$716 ฿24.2K

141.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 CA$2,078

$491 ฿16.6K

201.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,599 CA$3,647

$1,927 ฿65.1K

34.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,176 CA$3,054

$1,431 ฿48.3K

52.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,270 CA$7,396

$4,175 ฿141.0K

26.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,145 CA$5,816

$3,045 ฿102.8K

36.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,285 CA$4,610

$502 ฿17.0K

554.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

5.57

-18.85%

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

Last update for Burlington: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Burlington

$1.5K 54.1%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 66.8% $990

Groceries & Markets

Burlington

$346 12.7%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 23.1% $80

Eating Out

Burlington

$300 11%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 59.5% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burlington

$256 9.3%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 51.3% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Burlington

$151 5.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 19.1% $29

Getting Around

Burlington

$128 4.7%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 44.7% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Burlington

$76 2.8%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 8.3% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,729 in Burlington versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Burlington are about 6.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Burlington versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Burlington

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

03:25 3:25 AM

11 h ahead of Burlington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

183,314

79,308

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Burlington Phuket 14,320 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Burlington
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Burlington vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Burlington is pricier by about 114%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,105 per month in Burlington and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,729 in Burlington.

Kindergarten costs $902 per month in Burlington and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Burlington, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Burlington at $2,737. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burlington it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Burlington makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.