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: $2,777 in Burnaby versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,049 in Burnaby versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,321 in Burnaby versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 122% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burnaby is 108% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.84 CA$20.88

$4.55 ฿153

226.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 CA$105

$46.18 ฿1,553

62.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 CA$13.02

$8.84 ฿297

4.64%

Cappuccino

$4.24 CA$5.97

$3.06 ฿103

38.56%

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

$1.80 CA$2.53

$0.73 ฿24.40

146.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 CA$1.89

$0.40 ฿13.39

235.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 CA$8.37

$2.43 ฿81.8

144.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 CA$7.98

$3.78 ฿127

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 CA$3.52

$2.26 ฿76.0

10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.87

$1.81 ฿60.9

51.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.66 CA$6.55

$2.25 ฿75.8

107.11%

Eggs

$3.27 CA$4.60

$2.25 ฿75.5

45.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 CA$17.54

$19.51 ฿656

-36.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.71 CA$16.47

$3.65 ฿123

220.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.40 CA$30.12

$13.05 ฿439

63.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 CA$4.72

$3.23 ฿109

4.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$1.62 ฿54.4

-17.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 CA$4.27

$2.38 ฿80.1

27.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.42

$2.03 ฿68.1

89.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 CA$4.10

$1.53 ฿51.6

90.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.32

$1.50 ฿50.5

104.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.48

$0.98 ฿32.91

152.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 CA$2.68

$0.52 ฿17.39

267.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.81 CA$20.84

$4.44 ฿149

233.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.95 CA$18.22

$18.32 ฿616

-29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CA$3.50

$1.86 ฿62.7

33.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 CA$3.58

$2.68 ฿90.1

-4.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 CA$3.19

$1.41 ฿47.46

60.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.6 CA$109

$11.70 ฿393

562.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 CA$3.85

$3.11 ฿105

-12.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.90

$1.04 ฿35.06

29.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.16 CA$36.82

$14.11 ฿474

85.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.93

$1.31 ฿44.10

4.58%

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

$25.4K CA$35.7K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-8.83%

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

$20.1K CA$28.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-39.36%

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

$136 CA$192

$122 ฿4,118

11.24%

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

$41.79 CA$58.8

$13.59 ฿457

207.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 CA$77.1

$18.70 ฿629

192.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 CA$43.91

$60.5 ฿2,034

-48.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.36 CA$7.54

$16.98 ฿571

-68.43%

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 CA$22.70

$9.07 ฿305

77.84%

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

$534 CA$752

$706 ฿23.8K

-24.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,169 CA$11.5K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-48.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 CA$77.1

$58.6 ฿1,969

-6.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 CA$75.7

$35.36 ฿1,189

52.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 CA$133

$115 ฿3,883

-18.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 CA$133

$83.7 ฿2,816

12.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 CA$2,651

$626 ฿21.0K

201.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,650 CA$2,321

$445 ฿15.0K

270.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,117 CA$5,793

$2,040 ฿68.6K

101.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,678 CA$3,768

$1,492 ฿50.2K

79.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,680 CA$9,400

$3,483 ฿117.1K

91.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,538 CA$7,792

$2,577 ฿86.7K

114.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,116 CA$4,385

$500 ฿16.8K

523.44%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,884 in Burnaby and $626 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: $75.0 in Burnaby vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $289 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 122% in total monthly costs ($2,777 vs $1,250 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: $1,884 in Burnaby versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $534 in Burnaby versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,777 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 122% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.