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: $2,363 in High Level versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,362 in High Level versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,361 in High Level versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in High Level is roughly 87% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: High Level is 76% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.89 CA$23.39

$4.70 ฿153

259.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 CA$97.9

$45.37 ฿1,482

55.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$15.14

$8.43 ฿275

29.77%

Cappuccino

$3.76 CA$5.21

$2.93 ฿95.6

28.33%

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

$1.99 CA$2.75

$0.69 ฿22.40

188.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.31

$0.37 ฿11.99

351.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 CA$7.75

$2.41 ฿78.6

132.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 CA$8.10

$3.72 ฿122

57.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 CA$2.90

$2.23 ฿72.9

-6.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 CA$3.62

$1.83 ฿59.8

42.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 CA$5.03

$2.17 ฿70.8

67.74%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.82

$2.21 ฿72.3

57.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 CA$15.22

$19.74 ฿645

-44.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 CA$16.12

$3.63 ฿119

220.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.67 CA$20.31

$13.53 ฿442

8.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.47

$3.28 ฿107

20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 CA$1.95

$1.61 ฿52.6

-12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.07

$2.41 ฿78.6

51.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.31

$2.08 ฿68.1

84.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 CA$3.47

$1.53 ฿49.93

64.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 CA$3.46

$1.48 ฿48.36

68.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CA$3.63

$0.99 ฿32.29

164.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 CA$2.45

$0.51 ฿16.67

247.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 CA$19.08

$4.41 ฿144

212.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 CA$16.37

$19.38 ฿633

-39.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 CA$3.87

$1.78 ฿58.1

57.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CA$4.21

$2.71 ฿88.6

12.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 CA$3.32

$1.37 ฿44.79

75.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.9 CA$85.8

$11.39 ฿372

443.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 CA$4.49

$3.02 ฿98.6

7.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.05

$0.99 ฿32.48

49.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.67 CA$35.54

$14.10 ฿461

82.06%

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)

$25.3K CA$35.0K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-10.30%

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

$21.0K CA$29.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-36.14%

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

$140 CA$194

$122 ฿3,975

15.34%

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

$43.21 CA$59.8

$13.57 ฿443

218.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.1 CA$87.4

$18.31 ฿598

244.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.85 CA$57.9

$60.2 ฿1,967

-30.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 CA$16.02

$8.69 ฿284

33.14%

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

$723 CA$1,002

$693 ฿22.6K

4.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.3K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-25.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 CA$76.2

$59.5 ฿1,944

-7.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 CA$54.6

$34.77 ฿1,136

13.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 CA$119

$115 ฿3,743

-24.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CA$150

$83.3 ฿2,720

29.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 CA$1,837

$613 ฿20.0K

116.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 CA$1,640

$437 ฿14.3K

171.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 CA$2,804

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-3.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 CA$2,500

$1,509 ฿49.3K

19.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,894 CA$6,776

$3,749 ฿122.5K

30.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,084 CA$5,654

$2,616 ฿85.4K

56.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

5.33

21.20%

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

Last update for High Level: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,327 in High Level and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in High Level vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 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

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

High Level and Phuket differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($2,363 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 $3,545 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: $1,327 in High Level versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,363 per month in High Level versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 444% 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 $2,363 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 87% less than in High Level. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.