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: $2,321 in Hamilton versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,399 in Hamilton versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,477 in Hamilton versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Hamilton is roughly 85% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamilton is 69% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.38 CA$25.54

$4.56 ฿152

303.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 CA$94.7

$32.62 ฿1,086

108.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.51 CA$17.38

$8.90 ฿296

40.56%

Cappuccino

$3.56 CA$4.94

$2.80 ฿93.4

27.14%

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

$2.20 CA$3.06

$0.88 ฿29.31

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.42

$0.49 ฿16.29

255.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.18 CA$7.20

$2.39 ฿79.5

116.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 CA$9.04

$3.71 ฿124

75.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CA$2.85

$1.79 ฿59.5

14.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 CA$3.09

$1.44 ฿48.00

54.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.94

$1.58 ฿52.8

79.75%

Eggs

$3.44 CA$4.78

$2.13 ฿70.8

61.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 CA$10.52

$19.92 ฿663

-62.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 CA$14.46

$3.43 ฿114

203.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 CA$19.52

$11.33 ฿377

23.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.44

$2.95 ฿98.2

32.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.72 ฿57.3

-25.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 CA$5.93

$2.32 ฿77.4

84.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.45

$2.08 ฿69.3

88.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.66

$1.47 ฿48.96

79.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 CA$2.43

$1.36 ฿45.22

28.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$1.10 ฿36.59

112.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.03

$0.57 ฿19.13

156.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.22 CA$19.76

$4.27 ฿142

233.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.06 CA$18.15

$18.42 ฿613

-29.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.31

$1.87 ฿62.3

27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 CA$5.82

$2.92 ฿97.3

43.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.81

$2.22 ฿73.9

23.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.7 CA$122

$22.90 ฿762

282.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 CA$4.86

$3.03 ฿101

15.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 CA$1.85

$1.07 ฿35.77

24.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.47 CA$32.62

$3.93 ฿131

497.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.65

$1.49 ฿49.68

-20.13%

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

$28.9K CA$40.2K

$27.1K ฿903.4K

6.56%

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

$20.1K CA$27.9K

$27.5K ฿914.1K

-26.88%

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

$151 CA$209

$103 ฿3,423

46.58%

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

$40.12 CA$55.8

$10.99 ฿366

265.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 CA$71.1

$17.51 ฿583

192.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.62 CA$52.3

$53.5 ฿1,783

-29.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.56 CA$29.96

$11.20 ฿373

92.50%

Cinema Ticket

$10.27 CA$14.27

$7.48 ฿249

37.30%

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

$615 CA$855

$557 ฿18.5K

10.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.1K

$11.9K ฿394.7K

40.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 CA$69.8

$64.1 ฿2,134

-21.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.50 CA$47.94

$29.07 ฿968

18.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$128

$96.0 ฿3,195

-4.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$168

$90.3 ฿3,008

33.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 CA$1,834

$730 ฿24.3K

80.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 CA$1,683

$500 ฿16.6K

142.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 CA$2,867

$2,090 ฿69.6K

-1.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 CA$2,680

$1,209 ฿40.3K

59.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,814 CA$3,910

$3,596 ฿119.7K

-21.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,808 CA$3,902

$2,512 ฿83.7K

11.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,912 CA$4,047

$503 ฿16.8K

478.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

5.57

-17.41%

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

Last update for Hamilton: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,320 in Hamilton and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 479% 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: $68.0 in Hamilton vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $273 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 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 479% 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: $1,320 in Hamilton versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Hamilton versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,321 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 85% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.