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: $2,335 in Cambridge Bay versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,396 in Cambridge Bay versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,456 in Cambridge Bay versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Cambridge Bay is roughly 85% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cambridge Bay is 69% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.64 CA$31.40

$4.66 ฿154

385.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 CA$94.4

$32.22 ฿1,066

111.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 CA$15.12

$8.68 ฿287

25.58%

Cappuccino

$3.61 CA$5.01

$2.90 ฿95.9

24.48%

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

$2.02 CA$2.80

$0.84 ฿27.91

140.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.25

$0.49 ฿16.17

232.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 CA$7.60

$2.48 ฿82.1

120.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 CA$7.78

$3.73 ฿123

50.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CA$2.85

$1.89 ฿62.3

8.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 CA$3.49

$1.41 ฿46.58

78.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 CA$4.53

$1.62 ฿53.6

101.85%

Eggs

$3.57 CA$4.95

$2.24 ฿74.1

59.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 CA$14.24

$19.84 ฿656

-48.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.87 CA$16.46

$3.48 ฿115

241.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.60 CA$20.25

$11.37 ฿376

28.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CA$5.28

$2.90 ฿95.9

31.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 CA$1.89

$1.72 ฿57.0

-20.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.23

$2.27 ฿75.2

66.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.39

$2.13 ฿70.5

82.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.64

$1.47 ฿48.77

78.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.03

$1.42 ฿46.96

53.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.42

$1.10 ฿36.29

123.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.30

$0.60 ฿19.78

176.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.63 CA$20.29

$4.31 ฿142

239.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.49 CA$17.32

$18.60 ฿615

-32.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 CA$3.82

$1.80 ฿59.6

53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CA$4.44

$2.97 ฿98.1

7.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.32

$2.25 ฿74.3

6.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 CA$88.8

$23.49 ฿777

172.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 CA$4.09

$3.10 ฿103

-4.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.08

$1.08 ฿35.59

38.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.10 CA$33.43

$3.87 ฿128

522.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.57

$1.43 ฿47.20

-20.98%

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

$28.9K CA$40.1K

$27.8K ฿918.9K

3.97%

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

$19.5K CA$27.0K

$27.0K ฿892.4K

-27.87%

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

$139 CA$192

$105 ฿3,466

32.43%

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

$39.86 CA$55.3

$11.39 ฿377

249.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 CA$77.4

$17.54 ฿580

218.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.43 CA$57.5

$54.3 ฿1,797

-23.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.74 CA$25.99

$11.44 ฿378

63.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.59 CA$16.08

$7.78 ฿257

48.97%

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

$775 CA$1,074

$576 ฿19.1K

34.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K CA$18.4K

$11.6K ฿383.0K

14.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 CA$74.8

$63.6 ฿2,104

-15.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.08 CA$54.2

$29.10 ฿962

34.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 CA$122

$96.2 ฿3,182

-8.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$142

$90.0 ฿2,977

13.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 CA$1,764

$733 ฿24.2K

73.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 CA$1,588

$501 ฿16.6K

128.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 CA$2,751

$2,126 ฿70.3K

-6.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 CA$2,444

$1,252 ฿41.4K

40.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,315 CA$5,984

$3,534 ฿116.9K

22.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,690 CA$5,117

$2,622 ฿86.7K

40.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

5.57

-15.98%

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

Last update for Cambridge Bay: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,272 in Cambridge Bay and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Cambridge Bay vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $275 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 85% in total monthly costs ($2,335 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,503 in Cambridge Bay and $1,898 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: $1,272 in Cambridge Bay versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,335 per month in Cambridge Bay versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 173% less than in Cambridge Bay. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,335 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 85% less than in Cambridge Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.