Cost of Living Comparison Between Duncan BC and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Duncan BC and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,184 in Duncan BC versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Duncan BC versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,770 in Duncan BC versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Duncan BC is roughly 77% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Duncan BC is 60% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.34 CA$25.49

$4.41 ฿146

315.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.7 CA$99.7

$32.26 ฿1,071

122.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 CA$15.29

$8.93 ฿297

23.18%

Cappuccino

$4.04 CA$5.61

$2.90 ฿96.1

39.31%

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

$2.19 CA$3.04

$0.88 ฿29.22

148.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.42

$0.48 ฿15.97

262.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.30 CA$7.37

$2.35 ฿78.1

125.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 CA$8.12

$3.72 ฿124

56.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 CA$2.27

$1.87 ฿61.9

-12.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.68

$1.47 ฿48.68

80.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 CA$6.19

$1.55 ฿51.5

187.10%

Eggs

$4.01 CA$5.58

$2.10 ฿69.8

90.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 CA$16.22

$19.59 ฿650

-40.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.76 CA$19.13

$3.42 ฿114

302.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.54 CA$20.21

$11.38 ฿378

27.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 CA$6.11

$2.98 ฿99.1

47.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 CA$1.86

$1.68 ฿55.9

-20.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.48

$2.21 ฿73.3

78.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.56

$2.16 ฿71.8

85.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.95

$1.52 ฿50.6

86.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.14

$1.34 ฿44.43

122.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 CA$3.70

$1.13 ฿37.47

135.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.30

$0.55 ฿18.14

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.17 CA$19.70

$4.26 ฿142

232.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.00 CA$16.68

$19.09 ฿634

-37.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 CA$3.78

$1.78 ฿59.1

52.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 CA$4.11

$2.78 ฿92.4

6.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 CA$2.83

$2.23 ฿74.0

-8.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.7 CA$104

$22.74 ฿755

228.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 CA$3.82

$3.03 ฿101

-9.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.02 ฿33.96

56.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.57 CA$45.27

$3.89 ฿129

737.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 CA$1.76

$1.49 ฿49.50

-14.77%

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

$26.6K CA$37.0K

$26.6K ฿882.5K

0.04%

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

$19.5K CA$27.2K

$27.0K ฿897.4K

-27.72%

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

$77.8 CA$108

$102 ฿3,402

-24.10%

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

$35.64 CA$49.55

$11.33 ฿376

214.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 CA$69.8

$17.40 ฿578

188.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.1 CA$86.3

$52.1 ฿1,729

19.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$11.68 CA$16.23

$7.69 ฿255

51.89%

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

$1,064 CA$1,480

$561 ฿18.6K

89.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K CA$14.1K

$11.5K ฿382.0K

-12.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 CA$79.4

$63.0 ฿2,093

-9.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 CA$48.18

$29.52 ฿980

17.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 CA$121

$98.0 ฿3,254

-11.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.2 CA$128

$88.5 ฿2,938

4.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 CA$1,738

$738 ฿24.5K

69.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 CA$1,474

$482 ฿16.0K

119.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 CA$3,188

$2,107 ฿69.9K

8.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,166 CA$3,010

$1,226 ฿40.7K

76.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,425 CA$6,152

$3,617 ฿120.1K

22.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,642 CA$5,062

$2,603 ฿86.4K

39.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,112 CA$4,326

$494 ฿16.4K

530.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

5.57

-24.42%

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

Last update for Duncan BC: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,250 in Duncan BC and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Duncan BC pays 530% 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: $72.0 in Duncan BC vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $274 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

Duncan BC vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 530% higher in Duncan BC, 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: $1,250 in Duncan BC versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Duncan BC. 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 $32.00 versus $72.0 in Duncan BC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,184 in Duncan BC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Duncan BC. 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 Duncan BC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Duncan BC 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 77% less than in Duncan BC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.