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: $2,523 in Calgary versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,652 in Calgary versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,780 in Calgary versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Calgary is roughly 99% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calgary is 88% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.59 CA$25.91

$4.70 ฿154

295.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.0 CA$97.6

$45.37 ฿1,488

54.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 CA$15.27

$8.43 ฿276

30.01%

Cappuccino

$3.73 CA$5.20

$2.93 ฿96.0

27.30%

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

$1.99 CA$2.77

$0.69 ฿22.48

188.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.40

$0.37 ฿12.04

364.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 CA$6.99

$2.41 ฿79.0

107.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 CA$9.06

$3.72 ฿122

74.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.10

$2.23 ฿73.2

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.72

$1.83 ฿60.1

45.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.55

$2.17 ฿71.1

50.23%

Eggs

$3.35 CA$4.67

$2.21 ฿72.6

51.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 CA$20.21

$19.74 ฿647

-26.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.95 CA$18.04

$3.63 ฿119

256.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.15 CA$22.51

$13.53 ฿444

19.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 CA$6.02

$3.28 ฿107

31.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.61 ฿52.8

-16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.33

$2.41 ฿79.0

58.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.83

$2.08 ฿68.3

100.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.69

$1.53 ฿50.1

73.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 CA$3.82

$1.48 ฿48.56

85.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 CA$3.85

$0.99 ฿32.42

178.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CA$2.72

$0.51 ฿16.73

282.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.98 CA$20.88

$4.41 ฿144

239.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 CA$20.45

$19.38 ฿636

-24.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$3.96

$1.78 ฿58.3

59.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 CA$5.60

$2.71 ฿88.9

48.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 CA$3.90

$1.37 ฿44.96

104.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 CA$120

$11.39 ฿374

656.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 CA$5.02

$3.02 ฿99.0

19.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 CA$1.84

$0.99 ฿32.61

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.01 CA$40.43

$14.10 ฿462

105.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.56

$1.36 ฿44.68

-17.65%

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

$24.9K CA$34.6K

$28.2K ฿924.7K

-11.86%

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

$22.0K CA$30.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-33.20%

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

$217 CA$303

$122 ฿3,991

78.46%

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

$41.55 CA$57.9

$13.57 ฿445

206.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CA$80.9

$18.31 ฿600

217.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 CA$76.3

$60.2 ฿1,975

-9.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.8 CA$73.6

$17.14 ฿562

208.17%

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 CA$17.79

$8.69 ฿285

46.95%

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

$874 CA$1,218

$693 ฿22.7K

26.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.2K

$15.7K ฿514.4K

1.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$82.0

$59.5 ฿1,952

-1.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.47 CA$64.8

$34.77 ฿1,140

33.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 CA$121

$115 ฿3,758

-23.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$152

$83.3 ฿2,731

30.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 CA$1,970

$613 ฿20.1K

130.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 CA$1,634

$437 ฿14.3K

168.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 CA$3,232

$2,094 ฿68.7K

10.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 CA$2,629

$1,509 ฿49.5K

24.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,892 CA$5,424

$3,749 ฿122.9K

3.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,503 CA$4,882

$2,616 ฿85.8K

33.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,149 CA$4,389

$508 ฿16.7K

519.78%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,414 in Calgary and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 520% 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: $70.0 in Calgary vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 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

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 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Calgary pays 520% 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: $1,414 in Calgary versus $613 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 $45.00 versus $70.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,523 per month in Calgary versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,523 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 99% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.