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: $2,869 in Burnaby versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,015 in Burnaby versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,160 in Burnaby versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 127% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burnaby is 108% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.82 CA$30.27

$4.66 ฿154

368.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 CA$121

$32.22 ฿1,065

171.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 CA$13.24

$8.68 ฿287

9.91%

Cappuccino

$4.81 CA$6.67

$2.90 ฿95.8

65.86%

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

$2.35 CA$3.27

$0.84 ฿27.89

179.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$0.49 ฿16.16

267.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 CA$9.98

$2.48 ฿82.0

189.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 CA$8.46

$3.73 ฿123

63.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$1.89 ฿62.3

26.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.05

$1.41 ฿46.54

107.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$1.62 ฿53.6

122.22%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.58

$2.24 ฿74.1

47.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 CA$19.89

$19.84 ฿656

-27.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 CA$19.43

$3.48 ฿115

302.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.31 CA$35.10

$11.37 ฿376

122.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.33

$2.90 ฿95.8

57.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.81

$1.72 ฿57.0

-24.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 CA$6.45

$2.27 ฿75.1

104.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CA$6.36

$2.13 ฿70.4

115.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.02

$1.47 ฿48.72

97.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$1.42 ฿46.92

153.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 CA$3.93

$1.10 ฿36.25

157.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 CA$3.01

$0.60 ฿19.76

261.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.60 CA$20.25

$4.31 ฿142

238.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 CA$19.11

$18.60 ฿615

-25.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.91

$1.80 ฿59.5

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.30

$2.97 ฿98.0

-19.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.42

$2.25 ฿74.2

9.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 CA$112

$23.49 ฿776

244.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 CA$4.13

$3.10 ฿102

-3.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.04

$1.08 ฿35.56

36.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.88 CA$37.28

$3.87 ฿128

594.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$1.43 ฿47.16

-6.99%

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

$28.3K CA$39.2K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

1.70%

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

$19.7K CA$27.3K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-27.06%

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

$125 CA$173

$105 ฿3,462

18.92%

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

$44.12 CA$61.2

$11.39 ฿376

287.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 CA$75.0

$17.54 ฿580

208.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 CA$43.20

$54.3 ฿1,795

-42.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.89 CA$15.11

$11.44 ฿378

-4.81%

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 CA$20.18

$7.78 ฿257

87.02%

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

$667 CA$925

$576 ฿19.0K

15.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 CA$73.9

$63.6 ฿2,103

-16.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 CA$72.8

$29.10 ฿961

80.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 CA$146

$96.2 ฿3,179

9.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CA$111

$90.0 ฿2,974

-11.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CA$2,344

$733 ฿24.2K

130.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 CA$2,149

$501 ฿16.5K

209.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 CA$3,434

$2,126 ฿70.2K

16.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 CA$3,036

$1,252 ฿41.4K

74.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,866 CA$9,523

$3,534 ฿116.8K

94.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,585 CA$7,746

$2,622 ฿86.6K

112.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,162 CA$4,386

$508 ฿16.8K

523.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

5.57

-14.54%

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

Last update for Burnaby: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,690 in Burnaby and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 523% 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: $88.0 in Burnaby vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $275 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 127% in total monthly costs ($2,869 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 523% higher in Burnaby, 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: $1,690 in Burnaby versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $667 in Burnaby versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,869 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 127% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.