Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,776 in Burnaby versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,068 in Burnaby versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,359 in Burnaby versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 119% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burnaby is 107% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 CA$20.49

$4.70 ฿154

213.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 CA$103

$45.37 ฿1,483

62.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 CA$12.43

$8.43 ฿276

6.17%

Cappuccino

$4.19 CA$5.82

$2.93 ฿95.7

43.00%

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

$1.81 CA$2.52

$0.69 ฿22.42

162.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.85

$0.37 ฿12.00

259.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 CA$8.21

$2.41 ฿78.7

145.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.73

$3.72 ฿122

49.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 CA$3.55

$2.23 ฿73.0

14.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CA$3.85

$1.83 ฿59.9

51.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CA$6.23

$2.17 ฿70.9

106.45%

Eggs

$3.13 CA$4.34

$2.21 ฿72.4

41.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 CA$17.13

$19.74 ฿645

-37.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 CA$16.65

$3.63 ฿119

230.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.64 CA$30.06

$13.53 ฿442

59.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.64

$3.28 ฿107

1.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.61 ฿52.7

-20.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$2.41 ฿78.7

24.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.33

$2.08 ฿68.1

84.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.02

$1.53 ฿49.97

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$1.48 ฿48.41

102.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 CA$3.32

$0.99 ฿32.32

141.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.63

$0.51 ฿16.68

270.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.84 CA$20.61

$4.41 ฿144

236.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CA$18.42

$19.38 ฿634

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.35

$1.78 ฿58.1

35.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$2.71 ฿88.7

-7.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 CA$3.17

$1.37 ฿44.83

66.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 CA$107

$11.39 ฿372

577.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 CA$3.89

$3.02 ฿98.7

-7.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.97

$0.99 ฿32.51

43.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.32 CA$35.18

$14.10 ฿461

79.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.82

$1.36 ฿44.55

-3.68%

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

$25.3K CA$35.2K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-10.14%

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

$20.4K CA$28.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-37.91%

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

$136 CA$188

$122 ฿3,978

11.40%

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

$42.55 CA$59.1

$13.57 ฿444

213.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 CA$77.2

$18.31 ฿599

203.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.32 CA$43.52

$60.2 ฿1,969

-47.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.61 CA$7.80

$17.14 ฿560

-67.27%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 CA$22.63

$8.69 ฿284

87.46%

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

$547 CA$760

$693 ฿22.7K

-21.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,127 CA$11.3K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-48.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 CA$76.0

$59.5 ฿1,946

-8.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 CA$74.5

$34.77 ฿1,137

54.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 CA$130

$115 ฿3,746

-18.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 CA$134

$83.3 ฿2,723

15.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 CA$2,653

$613 ฿20.0K

211.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 CA$2,304

$437 ฿14.3K

279.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,989 CA$5,543

$2,094 ฿68.5K

90.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,650 CA$3,682

$1,509 ฿49.3K

75.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,878 CA$9,556

$3,749 ฿122.6K

83.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,525 CA$7,676

$2,616 ฿85.5K

111.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,275 CA$4,551

$508 ฿16.6K

544.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

5.33

22.70%

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

Last update for Burnaby: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,909 in Burnaby and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 545% 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: $74.0 in Burnaby vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Burnaby vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burnaby and Phuket differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($2,776 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Burnaby pays 545% 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: $1,909 in Burnaby versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Burnaby versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,776 in Burnaby, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Burnaby 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 119% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.