Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,493 in Hamilton versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,584 in Hamilton versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,676 in Hamilton versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Hamilton is roughly 99% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamilton is 87% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 CA$25.41

$4.55 ฿153

298.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 CA$103

$46.18 ฿1,550

58.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 CA$15.39

$8.84 ฿297

24.21%

Cappuccino

$4.05 CA$5.68

$3.06 ฿103

32.35%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$0.73 ฿24.36

187.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 CA$2.53

$0.40 ฿13.37

352.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 CA$8.17

$2.43 ฿81.6

139.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 CA$9.23

$3.78 ฿127

74.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$2.26 ฿75.8

-1.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 CA$2.98

$1.81 ฿60.8

17.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 CA$4.00

$2.25 ฿75.7

26.67%

Eggs

$3.14 CA$4.40

$2.25 ฿75.4

39.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 CA$10.85

$19.51 ฿655

-60.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.21

$3.65 ฿122

216.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 CA$20.18

$13.05 ฿438

10.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.48

$3.23 ฿109

21.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.82

$1.62 ฿54.3

-19.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$4.97

$2.38 ฿80.0

49.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.47

$2.03 ฿68.0

92.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.67

$1.53 ฿51.5

71.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CA$3.07

$1.50 ฿50.4

46.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$0.98 ฿32.85

125.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 CA$2.80

$0.52 ฿17.36

282.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.47 CA$18.88

$4.44 ฿149

203.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 CA$17.71

$18.32 ฿615

-31.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.38

$1.86 ฿62.6

29.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.31

$2.68 ฿90.0

14.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.68

$1.41 ฿47.37

85.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 CA$123

$11.70 ฿393

647.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 CA$4.96

$3.11 ฿104

13.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.04 ฿35.00

17.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.62 CA$33.12

$14.11 ฿474

67.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.60

$1.31 ฿44.02

-12.98%

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

$25.4K CA$35.6K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

-8.75%

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

$20.4K CA$28.6K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-38.54%

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

$155 CA$218

$122 ฿4,110

26.91%

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

$40.11 CA$56.2

$13.59 ฿456

195.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 CA$71.7

$18.70 ฿628

173.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.80 CA$51.6

$60.5 ฿2,031

-39.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.40 CA$31.40

$16.98 ฿570

31.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 CA$16.22

$9.07 ฿305

27.56%

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

$643 CA$901

$706 ฿23.7K

-8.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K CA$30.4K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

37.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 CA$78.5

$58.6 ฿1,965

-4.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.71 CA$47.26

$35.36 ฿1,187

-4.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 CA$136

$115 ฿3,876

-16.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$170

$83.7 ฿2,811

44.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 CA$1,895

$626 ฿21.0K

116.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 CA$1,778

$445 ฿14.9K

184.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 CA$2,785

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-2.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,835

$1,492 ฿50.1K

35.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,710 CA$3,800

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-22.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,749 CA$3,854

$2,577 ฿86.5K

6.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,871 CA$4,025

$500 ฿16.8K

474.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

5.33

24.20%

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

Last update for Hamilton: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,352 in Hamilton and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 474% 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: $73.0 in Hamilton vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $289 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

Hamilton vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 474% higher in Hamilton, 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: $1,352 in Hamilton versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $643 in Hamilton versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,493 in Hamilton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. 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 Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hamilton 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 99% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.