Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort St John, BC and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort St John, BC and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,730 in Fort St John, BC versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Fort St John, BC versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,751 in Fort St John, BC versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Fort St John, BC is roughly 38% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fort St John, BC is 29% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.92 CA$19.52

$4.55 ฿153

205.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.98 CA$61.7

$46.18 ฿1,550

-4.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 CA$13.24

$8.84 ฿297

6.90%

Cappuccino

$4.42 CA$6.20

$3.06 ฿103

44.44%

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

$1.86 CA$2.61

$0.73 ฿24.36

154.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 CA$1.84

$0.40 ฿13.37

227.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 CA$9.37

$2.43 ฿81.6

174.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 CA$7.84

$3.78 ฿127

47.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 CA$3.33

$2.26 ฿75.8

5.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 CA$4.77

$1.81 ฿60.8

87.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 CA$5.34

$2.25 ฿75.7

69.33%

Eggs

$3.91 CA$5.48

$2.25 ฿75.4

73.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.51 CA$9.13

$19.51 ฿655

-66.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.39 CA$17.37

$3.65 ฿122

239.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.09 CA$26.77

$13.05 ฿438

46.28%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 CA$7.35

$3.23 ฿109

62.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 CA$0.94

$1.62 ฿54.3

-58.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.58

$2.38 ฿80.0

67.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 CA$5.03

$2.03 ฿68.0

76.85%

Potato (1kg)

$5.23 CA$7.33

$1.53 ฿51.5

241.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.02

$1.50 ฿50.4

91.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.44

$0.98 ฿32.85

151.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CA$3.07

$0.52 ฿17.36

321.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 CA$20.48

$4.44 ฿149

229.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.01 CA$29.46

$18.32 ฿615

14.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 CA$4.00

$1.86 ฿62.6

53.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CA$4.32

$2.68 ฿90.0

14.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 CA$2.09

$1.41 ฿47.37

5.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.99 CA$40.64

$11.70 ฿393

147.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.23 CA$10.13

$3.11 ฿104

132.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 CA$1.50

$1.04 ฿35.00

2.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.59 CA$35.88

$14.11 ฿474

81.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 CA$1.77

$1.31 ฿44.02

-3.82%

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

$25.0K CA$35.0K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

-10.20%

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

$20.3K CA$28.5K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-38.87%

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

$87.8 CA$123

$122 ฿4,110

-28.30%

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

$103 CA$144

$13.59 ฿456

657.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 CA$92.9

$18.70 ฿628

254.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 CA$79.3

$60.5 ฿2,031

-6.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿570

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 CA$15.55

$9.07 ฿305

22.27%

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

$746 CA$1,047

$706 ฿23.7K

5.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K CA$16.7K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-24.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 CA$102

$58.6 ฿1,965

24.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.98 CA$67.3

$35.36 ฿1,187

35.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 CA$117

$115 ฿3,876

-27.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 CA$207

$83.7 ฿2,811

76.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 CA$811

$626 ฿21.0K

-7.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 CA$759

$445 ฿14.9K

21.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 CA$1,879

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-34.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 CA$1,534

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-26.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿116.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,079 CA$4,317

$500 ฿16.8K

516.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.45

5.33

39.77%

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

Last update for Fort St John, BC: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $578 in Fort St John, BC and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort St John, BC pays 516% 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: $44.00 in Fort St John, BC vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $411 vs $289, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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

Fort St John, BC vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 516% higher in Fort St John, 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: $578 in Fort St John, BC versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $44.00 in Fort St John, BC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,730 per month in Fort St John, BC versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,730 in Fort St John, BC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Fort St John, 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 Fort St John, BC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Fort St John, 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 38% less than in Fort St John, BC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.