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: $2,479 in Cambridge versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,553 in Cambridge versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,628 in Cambridge versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Cambridge is roughly 96% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cambridge is 85% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.44 CA$20.08

$4.70 ฿153

207.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.4 CA$91.0

$45.37 ฿1,482

44.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 CA$13.27

$8.43 ฿275

13.17%

Cappuccino

$3.53 CA$4.91

$2.93 ฿95.6

20.48%

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

$2.20 CA$3.06

$0.69 ฿22.40

218.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.27

$0.37 ฿11.99

340.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 CA$8.27

$2.41 ฿78.6

146.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 CA$9.31

$3.72 ฿122

79.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CA$2.95

$2.23 ฿72.9

-4.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.83 ฿59.8

21.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.10

$2.17 ฿70.8

35.94%

Eggs

$3.09 CA$4.29

$2.21 ฿72.3

39.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 CA$11.41

$19.74 ฿645

-58.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 CA$16.23

$3.63 ฿119

221.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 CA$19.43

$13.53 ฿442

3.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.26

$3.28 ฿107

15.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 CA$1.67

$1.61 ฿52.6

-25.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.16

$2.41 ฿78.6

53.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.18

$2.08 ฿68.1

78.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 CA$3.75

$1.53 ฿49.93

76.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 CA$3.47

$1.48 ฿48.36

68.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 CA$2.98

$0.99 ฿32.29

116.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.28

$0.51 ฿16.67

221.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.68 CA$19.03

$4.41 ฿144

210.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.75 CA$17.73

$19.38 ฿633

-34.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.44

$1.78 ฿58.1

38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 CA$4.47

$2.71 ฿88.6

18.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.51 CA$3.49

$1.37 ฿44.79

83.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 CA$95.4

$11.39 ฿372

502.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$3.02 ฿98.6

-16.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 CA$2.42

$0.99 ฿32.48

75.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.06 CA$33.46

$14.10 ฿461

70.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.59

$1.36 ฿44.51

-16.18%

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

$25.0K CA$34.7K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-11.47%

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

$20.2K CA$28.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-38.61%

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

$154 CA$214

$122 ฿3,975

26.57%

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

$38.79 CA$54.0

$13.57 ฿443

185.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 CA$76.8

$18.31 ฿598

201.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.12 CA$41.89

$60.2 ฿1,967

-49.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$11.62 CA$16.16

$8.69 ฿284

33.72%

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

$561 CA$780

$693 ฿22.6K

-19.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K CA$14.1K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-35.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 CA$78.7

$59.5 ฿1,944

-4.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 CA$48.20

$34.77 ฿1,136

-0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 CA$97.7

$115 ฿3,743

-38.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 CA$155

$83.3 ฿2,720

33.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 CA$1,963

$613 ฿20.0K

130.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 CA$1,916

$437 ฿14.3K

215.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 CA$3,757

$2,094 ฿68.4K

29.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 CA$2,929

$1,509 ฿49.3K

39.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,307 CA$5,990

$3,749 ฿122.5K

14.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,927 CA$5,461

$2,616 ฿85.4K

50.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,989 CA$4,157

$508 ฿16.6K

488.24%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,411 in Cambridge and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 488% 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 $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 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 vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cambridge pays 488% 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: $1,411 in Cambridge versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% 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 $45.00 versus $65.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,479 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 96% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.