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: $1,728 in Fort St John, BC versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,737 in Fort St John, BC versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,746 in Fort St John, BC versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Fort St John, BC is roughly 37% more expensive than 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

$13.80 CA$19.10

$4.70 ฿153

193.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.90 CA$62.2

$45.37 ฿1,482

-1.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 CA$13.20

$8.43 ฿275

13.05%

Cappuccino

$4.31 CA$5.97

$2.93 ฿95.6

47.10%

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

$1.85 CA$2.57

$0.69 ฿22.40

168.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.73

$0.37 ฿11.99

237.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.35 CA$8.79

$2.41 ฿78.6

163.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 CA$7.76

$3.72 ฿122

50.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 CA$3.25

$2.23 ฿72.9

5.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 CA$4.55

$1.83 ฿59.8

79.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.45

$2.17 ฿70.8

81.57%

Eggs

$3.86 CA$5.35

$2.21 ฿72.3

74.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.57 CA$9.10

$19.74 ฿645

-66.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.13 CA$16.79

$3.63 ฿119

234.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.41 CA$26.87

$13.53 ฿442

43.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 CA$7.23

$3.28 ฿107

59.15%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 CA$0.94

$1.61 ฿52.6

-57.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.33

$2.41 ฿78.6

59.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.19

$2.08 ฿68.1

80.29%

Potato (1kg)

$5.22 CA$7.23

$1.53 ฿49.93

241.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.02

$1.48 ฿48.36

95.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CA$3.47

$0.99 ฿32.29

153.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.11

$0.51 ฿16.67

341.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.68 CA$20.33

$4.41 ฿144

232.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.27 CA$29.44

$19.38 ฿633

9.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 CA$4.08

$1.78 ฿58.1

65.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CA$4.18

$2.71 ฿88.6

11.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 CA$2.00

$1.37 ฿44.79

5.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.49 CA$40.84

$11.39 ฿372

158.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.24 CA$10.03

$3.02 ฿98.6

139.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 CA$1.41

$0.99 ฿32.48

3.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.28 CA$36.38

$14.10 ฿461

86.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 CA$1.75

$1.36 ฿44.51

-7.35%

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

$25.2K CA$34.9K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-10.63%

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

$20.5K CA$28.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-37.67%

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

$86.3 CA$119

$122 ฿3,975

-29.10%

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

$104 CA$144

$13.57 ฿443

667.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 CA$90.1

$18.31 ฿598

255.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 CA$77.3

$60.2 ฿1,967

-7.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$10.91 CA$15.10

$8.69 ฿284

25.55%

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

$745 CA$1,032

$693 ฿22.6K

7.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$16.1K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-25.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 CA$103

$59.5 ฿1,944

24.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.13 CA$66.6

$34.77 ฿1,136

38.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 CA$117

$115 ฿3,743

-26.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 CA$201

$83.3 ฿2,720

74.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 CA$815

$613 ฿20.0K

-4.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 CA$765

$437 ฿14.3K

26.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 CA$1,803

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-37.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 CA$1,557

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-25.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,124 CA$4,325

$508 ฿16.6K

514.78%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Fort St John, BC and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort St John, BC pays 515% 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: $45.00 in Fort St John, BC vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $412 vs $293, 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 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Fort St John, BC pays 515% 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: $589 in Fort St John, BC versus $613 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 $45.00 versus $45.00 in Fort St John, BC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,728 per month in Fort St John, BC versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,728 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 37% less than in Fort St John, BC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.