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: $2,391 in Cambridge Bay versus $1,247 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,444 in Cambridge Bay versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,497 in Cambridge Bay versus $3,306 in Phuket.

Living in Cambridge Bay is roughly 92% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cambridge Bay is 77% above, Phuket is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.58 CA$32.30

$4.59 ฿147

413.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.0 CA$96.0

$46.83 ฿1,500

49.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 CA$15.22

$8.70 ฿279

27.70%

Cappuccino

$3.67 CA$5.02

$2.92 ฿93.7

25.68%

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

$2.06 CA$2.83

$0.68 ฿21.90

202.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.32

$0.40 ฿12.69

325.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 CA$7.67

$2.51 ฿80.3

123.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 CA$8.28

$3.80 ฿122

58.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 CA$2.87

$2.16 ฿69.2

-3.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 CA$3.58

$1.88 ฿60.3

38.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 CA$4.78

$2.16 ฿69.1

61.57%

Eggs

$3.37 CA$4.62

$2.22 ฿71.1

51.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 CA$15.09

$19.57 ฿627

-43.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.59 CA$15.87

$3.80 ฿122

205.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 CA$20.38

$13.41 ฿430

10.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.45

$3.26 ฿104

22.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 CA$1.92

$1.61 ฿51.6

-13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.05

$2.31 ฿73.9

59.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.17

$2.06 ฿65.9

83.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.40

$1.61 ฿51.4

54.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.48

$1.44 ฿46.23

76.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 CA$3.61

$1.03 ฿32.99

156.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.34

$0.48 ฿15.38

256.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.77 CA$18.87

$4.50 ฿144

206.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 CA$19.34

$19.18 ฿614

-26.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 CA$4.02

$1.82 ฿58.4

61.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.12

$2.69 ฿86.2

11.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 CA$3.16

$1.38 ฿44.13

67.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.0 CA$86.4

$11.76 ฿377

435.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.46

$3.11 ฿99.5

4.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.02

$1.00 ฿32.16

48.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.78 CA$35.32

$13.74 ฿440

87.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.54

$1.30 ฿41.58

-13.85%

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

$25.2K CA$34.5K

$27.4K ฿876.5K

-8.00%

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

$20.9K CA$28.6K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-36.71%

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

$141 CA$193

$125 ฿4,001

12.88%

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

$43.08 CA$59.0

$13.74 ฿440

213.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.3 CA$86.7

$18.61 ฿596

240.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.53 CA$56.9

$60.6 ฿1,940

-31.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿549

Cinema Ticket

$11.35 CA$15.55

$9.01 ฿289

25.97%

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

$746 CA$1,022

$698 ฿22.4K

6.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K CA$16.4K

$16.1K ฿516.2K

-25.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 CA$74.1

$59.2 ฿1,897

-8.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 CA$53.8

$34.86 ฿1,117

12.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 CA$118

$114 ฿3,659

-24.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CA$148

$85.8 ฿2,749

25.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 CA$1,805

$619 ฿19.8K

113.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 CA$1,614

$437 ฿14.0K

169.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 CA$2,710

$2,075 ฿66.5K

-4.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,782 CA$2,442

$1,509 ฿48.4K

18.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,344 CA$5,951

$3,764 ฿120.6K

15.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,647

$2,694 ฿86.3K

25.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,318 in Cambridge Bay and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70 in Cambridge Bay vs $47 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 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

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

Cambridge Bay and Phuket differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($2,391 vs $1,247 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,586 in Cambridge Bay and $1,870 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: $1,318 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 $2,391 per month in Cambridge Bay versus $1,247 in Phuket – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 436% less than in Cambridge Bay. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $2,391 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 92% less than in Cambridge Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.