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: $2,354 in Duncan BC versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,584 in Duncan BC versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,813 in Duncan BC versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Duncan BC is roughly 86% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Duncan BC is 76% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.54 CA$25.78

$4.70 ฿153

294.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 CA$96.7

$45.37 ฿1,482

53.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.24 CA$15.63

$8.43 ฿275

33.33%

Cappuccino

$4.14 CA$5.76

$2.93 ฿95.6

41.30%

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

$2.04 CA$2.83

$0.69 ฿22.40

195.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 CA$2.52

$0.37 ฿11.99

389.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 CA$7.09

$2.41 ฿78.6

111.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 CA$8.51

$3.72 ฿122

64.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 CA$2.13

$2.23 ฿72.9

-31.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 CA$3.63

$1.83 ฿59.8

42.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.36 CA$7.46

$2.17 ฿70.8

147.00%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$4.91

$2.21 ฿72.3

59.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 CA$14.26

$19.74 ฿645

-48.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.06 CA$16.77

$3.63 ฿119

232.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.91 CA$20.74

$13.53 ฿442

10.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.64

$3.28 ฿107

1.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 CA$1.80

$1.61 ฿52.6

-19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.18

$2.41 ฿78.6

24.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 CA$4.79

$2.08 ฿68.1

65.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 CA$3.31

$1.53 ฿49.93

55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 CA$2.82

$1.48 ฿48.36

36.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 CA$3.29

$0.99 ฿32.29

139.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.44

$0.51 ฿16.67

243.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.34 CA$19.94

$4.41 ฿144

225.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 CA$16.71

$19.38 ฿633

-38.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.84 CA$5.34

$1.78 ฿58.1

115.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 CA$5.50

$2.71 ฿88.6

46.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 CA$2.75

$1.37 ฿44.79

44.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 CA$106

$11.39 ฿372

571.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 CA$3.91

$3.02 ฿98.6

-6.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.09

$0.99 ฿32.48

51.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.01 CA$40.35

$14.10 ฿461

105.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 CA$1.88

$1.36 ฿44.51

-0.74%

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

$23.3K CA$32.4K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-17.37%

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

$20.7K CA$28.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-37.17%

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

$158 CA$220

$122 ฿3,975

29.78%

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

$41.92 CA$58.3

$13.57 ฿443

208.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 CA$93.0

$18.31 ฿598

265.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 CA$89.2

$60.2 ฿1,967

6.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$12.72 CA$17.69

$8.69 ฿284

46.38%

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

$920 CA$1,279

$693 ฿22.6K

32.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K CA$14.9K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-31.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 CA$78.5

$59.5 ฿1,944

-5.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 CA$71.4

$34.77 ฿1,136

47.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 CA$138

$115 ฿3,743

-13.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.1 CA$134

$83.3 ฿2,720

15.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 CA$1,781

$613 ฿20.0K

108.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,154 CA$1,605

$437 ฿14.3K

164.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,411 CA$3,353

$2,094 ฿68.4K

15.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,216 CA$3,082

$1,509 ฿49.3K

46.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,387 CA$6,101

$3,749 ฿122.5K

17.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,646 CA$5,071

$2,616 ฿85.4K

39.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,217 CA$4,474

$508 ฿16.6K

533.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

5.33

22.70%

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

Last update for Duncan BC: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,280 in Duncan BC and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Duncan BC pays 533% 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: $70.0 in Duncan BC vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Duncan BC pays 533% 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: $1,280 in Duncan BC versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% 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 $45.00 versus $70.0 in Duncan BC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,354 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 86% less than in Duncan BC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.