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: $2,507 in Hamilton versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,577 in Hamilton versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,647 in Hamilton versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Hamilton is roughly 98% more expensive than 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

$18.39 CA$25.47

$4.70 ฿153

291.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 CA$103

$45.37 ฿1,482

64.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.02

$8.43 ฿275

28.59%

Cappuccino

$4.03 CA$5.58

$2.93 ฿95.6

37.54%

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

$2.10 CA$2.90

$0.69 ฿22.40

204.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.39

$0.37 ฿11.99

367.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$7.94

$2.41 ฿78.6

137.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 CA$8.99

$3.72 ฿122

74.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.09

$2.23 ฿72.9

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 CA$2.92

$1.83 ฿59.8

15.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.16

$2.17 ฿70.8

38.25%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.43

$2.21 ฿72.3

44.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 CA$10.74

$19.74 ฿645

-60.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 CA$16.11

$3.63 ฿119

220.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$19.89

$13.53 ฿442

6.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.34

$3.28 ฿107

17.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.81

$1.61 ฿52.6

-18.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$4.95

$2.41 ฿78.6

48.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.17

$2.08 ฿68.1

79.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.65

$1.53 ฿49.93

72.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.04

$1.48 ฿48.36

48.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.08

$0.99 ฿32.29

124.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 CA$2.77

$0.51 ฿16.67

292.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.59 CA$18.82

$4.41 ฿144

208.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.08 CA$18.11

$19.38 ฿633

-32.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.42

$1.78 ฿58.1

38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.16

$2.71 ฿88.6

11.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.55

$1.37 ฿44.79

86.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 CA$119

$11.39 ฿372

656.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 CA$4.96

$3.02 ฿98.6

18.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 CA$1.68

$0.99 ฿32.48

22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.51 CA$33.94

$14.10 ฿461

73.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.60

$1.36 ฿44.51

-15.44%

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

$25.0K CA$34.6K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-11.51%

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

$20.9K CA$29.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-36.35%

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

$150 CA$208

$122 ฿3,975

23.31%

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

$38.86 CA$53.8

$13.57 ฿443

186.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 CA$73.3

$18.31 ฿598

189.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 CA$50.5

$60.2 ฿1,967

-39.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 CA$30.29

$17.14 ฿560

27.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 CA$16.24

$8.69 ฿284

34.98%

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

$644 CA$892

$693 ฿22.6K

-7.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K CA$31.0K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

42.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 CA$78.4

$59.5 ฿1,944

-4.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.04 CA$47.14

$34.77 ฿1,136

-2.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 CA$135

$115 ฿3,743

-15.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 CA$167

$83.3 ฿2,720

44.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 CA$1,864

$613 ฿20.0K

119.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 CA$1,808

$437 ฿14.3K

198.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 CA$2,846

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-1.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 CA$2,728

$1,509 ฿49.3K

30.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,754 CA$3,813

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-26.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 CA$3,833

$2,616 ฿85.4K

5.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,916 CA$4,037

$508 ฿16.6K

473.86%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,346 in Hamilton and $613 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: $75.0 in Hamilton vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 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

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 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Hamilton pays 474% 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: $1,346 in Hamilton versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $644 in Hamilton versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,507 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 98% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.