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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,462 in Cambridge versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,522 in Cambridge versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Cambridge versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Cambridge is roughly 97% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cambridge is 84% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 CA$20.85

$4.55 ฿153

225.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 CA$91.7

$46.18 ฿1,553

41.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 CA$14.07

$8.84 ฿297

13.12%

Cappuccino

$3.68 CA$5.18

$3.06 ฿103

20.26%

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

$2.21 CA$3.11

$0.73 ฿24.40

202.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.27

$0.40 ฿13.39

302.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 CA$8.21

$2.43 ฿81.8

140.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 CA$9.22

$3.78 ฿127

73.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$2.26 ฿76.0

-1.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 CA$3.16

$1.81 ฿60.9

24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 CA$4.21

$2.25 ฿75.8

32.89%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.50

$2.25 ฿75.5

42.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 CA$12.20

$19.51 ฿656

-55.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 CA$16.81

$3.65 ฿123

227.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 CA$19.35

$13.05 ฿439

5.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.61

$3.23 ฿109

23.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.62 ฿54.4

-24.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.18

$2.38 ฿80.1

54.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.51

$2.03 ฿68.1

92.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CA$3.84

$1.53 ฿51.6

78.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 CA$3.45

$1.50 ฿50.5

64.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CA$3.16

$0.98 ฿32.91

128.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.21

$0.52 ฿17.39

201.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.40 CA$18.85

$4.44 ฿149

201.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.25 CA$17.24

$18.32 ฿616

-33.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.44

$1.86 ฿62.7

31.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CA$4.45

$2.68 ฿90.1

17.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.60

$1.41 ฿47.46

81.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.6 CA$93.7

$11.70 ฿393

469.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 CA$3.67

$3.11 ฿105

-16.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 CA$2.40

$1.04 ฿35.06

64.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.84 CA$33.54

$14.11 ฿474

68.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.56

$1.31 ฿44.10

-15.27%

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

$25.4K CA$35.7K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-8.69%

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

$20.3K CA$28.5K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-38.93%

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

$151 CA$212

$122 ฿4,118

23.21%

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

$39.94 CA$56.2

$13.59 ฿457

193.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 CA$76.1

$18.70 ฿629

189.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.81 CA$41.94

$60.5 ฿2,034

-50.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 CA$16.26

$9.07 ฿305

27.34%

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

$556 CA$782

$706 ฿23.8K

-21.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K CA$14.7K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-34.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 CA$78.0

$58.6 ฿1,969

-5.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.68 CA$48.80

$35.36 ฿1,189

-1.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 CA$99.4

$115 ฿3,883

-38.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$83.7 ฿2,816

31.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,984

$626 ฿21.0K

125.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 CA$1,938

$445 ฿15.0K

209.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,684 CA$3,776

$2,040 ฿68.6K

31.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,127 CA$2,993

$1,492 ฿50.2K

42.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,165 CA$5,861

$3,483 ฿117.1K

19.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,848 CA$5,414

$2,577 ฿86.7K

49.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,007 CA$4,231

$500 ฿16.8K

501.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

5.33

24.58%

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

Last update for Cambridge: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,410 in Cambridge and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 501% 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: $65.0 in Cambridge vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $289 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 vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 501% higher in Cambridge, 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: $1,410 in Cambridge versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Cambridge. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $65.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,462 in Cambridge, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. 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 Cambridge, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cambridge 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 97% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.