Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,255 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary 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 Calgary and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Calgary $2,255
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Calgary $3,361
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Calgary $4,468
Phuket $2,845

Living in Calgary is roughly 87% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calgary is 66% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$4.40 ฿147

299.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$32.26 ฿1,078

114.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$8.76 ฿293

20.89%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$2.83 ฿94.5

35.69%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$0.90 ฿30.14

114.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$0.47 ฿15.56

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$2.55 ฿85.2

99.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$3.83 ฿128

47.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$1.73 ฿57.7

15.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$1.47 ฿49.11

89.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$1.51 ฿50.6

270.20%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$2.17 ฿72.7

70.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$19.70 ฿658

-41.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$3.34 ฿112

235.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$11.16 ฿373

66.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$2.85 ฿95.1

64.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.70 ฿56.9

-14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$2.19 ฿73.3

98.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$2.05 ฿68.4

84.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$1.45 ฿48.57

85.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$1.38 ฿46.16

99.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$1.07 ฿35.69

139.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$0.51 ฿16.91

194.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$4.26 ฿142

237.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$18.58 ฿621

-14.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$1.78 ฿59.7

38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$2.85 ฿95.2

8.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.26 ฿75.6

24.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$22.10 ฿738

309.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$3.01 ฿101

8.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.06 ฿35.34

32.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$3.86 ฿129

586.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.45 ฿48.45

-15.86%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

7.78%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-22.68%

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

$165 CA$233

$96.4 ฿3,221

70.82%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$11.04 ฿369

246.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$17.14 ฿573

192.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$52.2 ฿1,744

3.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$11.16 ฿373

61.65%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$7.81 ฿261

79.77%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$556 ฿18.6K

43.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

36.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$64.2 ฿2,146

-7.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$28.69 ฿959

40.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$95.4 ฿3,187

-4.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$88.0 ฿2,940

24.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$737 ฿24.6K

63.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$462 ฿15.5K

118.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-6.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$1,201 ฿40.1K

39.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$3,488 ฿116.6K

1.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$2,523 ฿84.3K

34.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$501 ฿16.7K

529.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

5.57

-19.03%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 54.3% $549

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 31.4% $123

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Phuket

$121 10% 55.2% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 50.8% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 7.8% $10

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 64.8% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 17.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 530% 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: $69.0 in Calgary vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

21:09 9:09 PM

13 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

79,308

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Calgary Phuket 12,760 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Calgary vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 530% higher in Calgary, 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: $1,207 in Calgary versus $737 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 $32.00 versus $69.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,255 per month in Calgary versus $1,208 in Phuket – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,255 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 87% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.