Cost of Living Comparison Between High Level and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between High Level and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,275 in High Level versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,297 in High Level versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,318 in High Level versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in High Level is roughly 80% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: High Level is 65% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 CA$23.38

$4.66 ฿154

261.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 CA$83.2

$32.22 ฿1,065

86.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 CA$15.52

$8.68 ฿287

28.92%

Cappuccino

$3.31 CA$4.60

$2.90 ฿95.8

14.14%

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

$2.03 CA$2.81

$0.84 ฿27.89

141.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.33

$0.49 ฿16.16

242.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 CA$8.23

$2.48 ฿82.0

139.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 CA$6.99

$3.73 ฿123

35.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CA$2.72

$1.89 ฿62.3

3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 CA$3.93

$1.41 ฿46.54

100.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.62

$1.62 ฿53.6

105.56%

Eggs

$3.09 CA$4.28

$2.24 ฿74.1

37.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.17 CA$12.72

$19.84 ฿656

-53.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.08 CA$18.14

$3.48 ฿115

275.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.79 CA$20.51

$11.37 ฿376

30.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 CA$6.11

$2.90 ฿95.8

52.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 CA$1.63

$1.72 ฿57.0

-31.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.02

$2.27 ฿75.1

59.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 CA$6.09

$2.13 ฿70.4

106.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 CA$3.17

$1.47 ฿48.72

55.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 CA$3.47

$1.42 ฿46.92

76.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.60

$1.10 ฿36.25

136.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.19

$0.60 ฿19.76

163.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.74 CA$19.05

$4.31 ฿142

218.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 CA$15.45

$18.60 ฿615

-40.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 CA$3.86

$1.80 ฿59.5

54.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.04

$2.97 ฿98.0

-2.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 CA$3.01

$2.25 ฿74.2

-3.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 CA$77.1

$23.49 ฿776

136.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 CA$3.69

$3.10 ฿102

-14.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.97

$1.08 ฿35.56

31.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.06 CA$37.53

$3.87 ฿128

599.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.59

$1.43 ฿47.16

-19.58%

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

$29.4K CA$40.7K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

5.71%

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

$19.1K CA$26.5K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-29.23%

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

$139 CA$192

$105 ฿3,462

32.40%

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

$33.52 CA$46.49

$11.39 ฿376

194.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 CA$73.3

$17.54 ฿580

201.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.19 CA$58.5

$54.3 ฿1,795

-22.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.93 CA$29.03

$11.44 ฿378

82.95%

Cinema Ticket

$12.23 CA$16.96

$7.78 ฿257

57.20%

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

$887 CA$1,230

$576 ฿19.0K

53.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K CA$17.5K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

8.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 CA$78.9

$63.6 ฿2,103

-10.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.52 CA$60.4

$29.10 ฿961

49.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 CA$103

$96.2 ฿3,179

-23.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$146

$90.0 ฿2,974

17.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 CA$1,770

$733 ฿24.2K

74.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 CA$1,777

$501 ฿16.5K

155.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,717 CA$2,382

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-19.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 CA$2,175

$1,252 ฿41.4K

25.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,084 CA$5,665

$3,534 ฿116.8K

15.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,144 CA$5,748

$2,622 ฿86.6K

58.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

5.57

-15.98%

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

Last update for High Level: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,276 in High Level and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in High Level vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $275 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

High Level vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

High Level and Phuket differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($2,275 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,413 in High Level and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,276 in High Level versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,275 per month in High Level versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 137% less than in High Level. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,275 in High Level, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in High Level. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, High Level 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 80% less than in High Level. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.