Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,433 in Calgary versus $1,247 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,642 in Calgary versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,850 in Calgary versus $3,306 in Phuket.

Living in Calgary is roughly 95% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calgary is 81% above, Phuket is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.20 CA$24.93

$4.59 ฿147

296.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.0 CA$95.9

$46.83 ฿1,500

49.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 CA$15.09

$8.70 ฿279

26.55%

Cappuccino

$3.73 CA$5.11

$2.92 ฿93.7

27.74%

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

$1.98 CA$2.71

$0.68 ฿21.90

191.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.26

$0.40 ฿12.69

312.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 CA$7.22

$2.51 ฿80.3

109.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 CA$9.11

$3.80 ฿122

75.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$2.94

$2.16 ฿69.2

-0.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.67

$1.88 ฿60.3

42.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.66

$2.16 ฿69.1

57.41%

Eggs

$3.28 CA$4.49

$2.22 ฿71.1

47.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 CA$20.07

$19.57 ฿627

-25.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 CA$17.28

$3.80 ฿122

231.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.13 CA$22.10

$13.41 ฿430

20.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 CA$6.11

$3.26 ฿104

36.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 CA$1.84

$1.61 ฿51.6

-16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.11

$2.31 ฿73.9

61.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 CA$5.88

$2.06 ฿65.9

108.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 CA$3.65

$1.61 ฿51.4

65.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 CA$3.57

$1.44 ฿46.23

81.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.76

$1.03 ฿32.99

166.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 CA$2.60

$0.48 ฿15.38

295.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.98 CA$20.52

$4.50 ฿144

232.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.30 CA$19.59

$19.18 ฿614

-25.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$3.97

$1.82 ฿58.4

59.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 CA$5.44

$2.69 ฿86.2

47.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 CA$3.67

$1.38 ฿44.13

94.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.9 CA$120

$11.76 ฿377

647.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$4.88

$3.11 ฿99.5

14.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 CA$1.84

$1.00 ฿32.16

34.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.30 CA$40.15

$13.74 ฿440

113.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.55

$1.30 ฿41.58

-13.08%

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

$25.1K CA$34.4K

$27.4K ฿876.5K

-8.16%

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

$22.2K CA$30.4K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-32.71%

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

$218 CA$299

$125 ฿4,001

74.56%

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

$41.44 CA$56.8

$13.74 ฿440

201.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 CA$79.7

$18.61 ฿596

212.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 CA$73.6

$60.6 ฿1,940

-11.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.4 CA$71.8

$17.15 ฿549

205.42%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.34

$9.01 ฿289

40.51%

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

$885 CA$1,212

$698 ฿22.4K

26.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.0K

$16.1K ฿516.2K

-0.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 CA$79.6

$59.2 ฿1,897

-1.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.22 CA$66.1

$34.86 ฿1,117

38.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 CA$121

$114 ฿3,659

-22.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$146

$85.8 ฿2,749

23.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 CA$1,913

$619 ฿19.8K

125.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 CA$1,625

$437 ฿14.0K

171.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,293 CA$3,142

$2,075 ฿66.5K

10.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 CA$2,547

$1,509 ฿48.4K

23.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 CA$5,178

$3,764 ฿120.6K

0.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,509 CA$4,808

$2,694 ฿86.3K

30.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,117 CA$4,271

$528 ฿16.9K

489.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.71

5.33

7.13%

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

Last update for Calgary: April 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,396 in Calgary and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 490% 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: $70 in Calgary vs $47 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $395 vs $292 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

Calgary vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Calgary pays 490% 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: $1,396 in Calgary versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $70.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,433 per month in Calgary versus $1,247 in Phuket – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $2,433 in Calgary, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Calgary, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Calgary 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 95% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.