Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge Bay and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge Bay and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,388 in Cambridge Bay versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,422 in Cambridge Bay versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Cambridge Bay versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Cambridge Bay is roughly 89% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cambridge Bay is 78% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.67 CA$33.06

$4.56 ฿149

419.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 CA$98.9

$46.63 ฿1,519

51.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.13

$8.47 ฿276

27.86%

Cappuccino

$3.82 CA$5.33

$3.03 ฿98.6

26.07%

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

$2.03 CA$2.83

$0.69 ฿22.45

194.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.37

$0.37 ฿11.92

359.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.74

$2.49 ฿81.0

122.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 CA$8.25

$3.66 ฿119

61.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$2.18 ฿71.0

0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.80

$1.90 ฿62.0

43.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 CA$5.00

$2.20 ฿71.6

62.73%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$4.97

$2.22 ฿72.4

60.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.07 CA$15.46

$19.99 ฿651

-44.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.60 CA$16.20

$3.66 ฿119

216.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.95 CA$20.88

$13.25 ฿432

12.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.64

$3.23 ฿105

25.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.70 ฿55.3

-16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.06

$2.39 ฿78.0

51.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.27

$2.08 ฿67.7

81.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 CA$3.34

$1.59 ฿51.8

50.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.55

$1.48 ฿48.31

71.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.03 ฿33.54

153.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.46

$0.52 ฿16.83

238.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.01 CA$19.57

$4.25 ฿138

229.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.51 CA$17.47

$18.79 ฿612

-33.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 CA$3.95

$1.76 ฿57.2

60.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CA$4.25

$2.76 ฿89.8

10.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 CA$3.23

$1.36 ฿44.32

69.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.9 CA$87.9

$11.36 ฿370

454.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 CA$4.33

$3.14 ฿102

-1.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.07

$1.04 ฿33.74

42.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.39 CA$35.46

$13.77 ฿448

84.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.55

$1.34 ฿43.79

-17.16%

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

$24.8K CA$34.7K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-10.28%

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

$20.7K CA$28.9K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-38.96%

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

$145 CA$202

$124 ฿4,025

17.14%

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

$44.16 CA$61.7

$13.52 ฿440

226.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.4 CA$85.7

$18.69 ฿609

228.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.79 CA$58.4

$61.8 ฿2,013

-32.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.66

$9.14 ฿298

22.65%

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

$728 CA$1,017

$703 ฿22.9K

3.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$16.1K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-27.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 CA$76.7

$59.5 ฿1,937

-7.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.02 CA$54.5

$35.07 ฿1,142

11.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 CA$118

$115 ฿3,754

-26.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$150

$84.1 ฿2,737

27.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 CA$1,818

$619 ฿20.1K

110.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 CA$1,631

$433 ฿14.1K

169.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,030 CA$2,835

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-1.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,842 CA$2,573

$1,511 ฿49.2K

21.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,048 CA$5,653

$3,646 ฿118.7K

11.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,771 CA$5,266

$2,626 ฿85.5K

43.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

5.33

21.20%

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

Last update for Cambridge Bay: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,302 in Cambridge Bay and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Cambridge Bay vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 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

Cambridge Bay vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cambridge Bay and Phuket differ by about 89% in total monthly costs ($2,388 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,582 in Cambridge Bay and $1,892 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,302 in Cambridge Bay versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,388 per month in Cambridge Bay versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 454% less than in Cambridge Bay. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,388 in Cambridge Bay, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cambridge Bay. 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, Cambridge Bay 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 89% less than in Cambridge Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.