Cost of Living Comparison Between Iqaluit, NU and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Iqaluit, NU and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,041 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,109 in Iqaluit, NU versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,176 in Iqaluit, NU versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Iqaluit, NU is roughly 143% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iqaluit, NU is 128% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.86 CA$44.83

$4.55 ฿153

600.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 CA$94.9

$46.18 ฿1,553

46.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 CA$18.56

$8.84 ฿297

49.21%

Cappuccino

$6.80 CA$9.56

$3.06 ฿103

122.22%

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

$3.93 CA$5.53

$0.73 ฿24.40

438.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.36

$0.40 ฿13.39

320.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 CA$9.42

$2.43 ฿81.8

175.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 CA$8.08

$3.78 ฿127

51.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.44

$2.26 ฿76.0

7.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CA$3.80

$1.81 ฿60.9

49.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.07

$2.25 ฿75.8

28.44%

Eggs

$4.48 CA$6.30

$2.25 ฿75.5

99.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 CA$17.09

$19.51 ฿656

-37.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.61 CA$19.15

$3.65 ฿123

272.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.53 CA$35.93

$13.05 ฿439

95.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 CA$2.76

$3.23 ฿109

-39.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.16

$1.62 ฿54.4

82.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 CA$2.79

$2.38 ฿80.1

-16.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 CA$2.84

$2.03 ฿68.1

-0.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.14

$1.53 ฿51.6

92.16%

Onion (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.69

$1.50 ฿50.5

169.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 CA$4.26

$0.98 ฿32.91

209.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 CA$5.07

$0.52 ฿17.39

592.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.96 CA$19.64

$4.44 ฿149

214.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.07 CA$16.98

$18.32 ฿616

-34.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CA$2.12

$1.86 ฿62.7

-18.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.13

$2.68 ฿90.1

-17.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.24

$1.41 ฿47.46

63.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$145 CA$204

$11.70 ฿393

1140.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.47 CA$9.11

$3.11 ฿105

108.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 CA$1.02

$1.04 ฿35.06

-30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.24 CA$36.92

$14.11 ฿474

85.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.85

$1.31 ฿44.10

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

$49.4K CA$69.5K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

77.56%

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

$45.7K CA$64.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

37.60%

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

$118 CA$167

$122 ฿4,118

-3.30%

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

$56.1 CA$79.0

$13.59 ฿457

313.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 CA$78.5

$18.70 ฿629

198.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.48 CA$58.4

$60.5 ฿2,034

-31.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.06 CA$31.03

$16.98 ฿571

29.92%

Cinema Ticket

$8.50 CA$11.96

$9.07 ฿305

-6.28%

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

$989 CA$1,392

$706 ฿23.8K

40.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,940 CA$5,545

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-75.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 CA$88.0

$58.6 ฿1,969

6.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.72 CA$51.7

$35.36 ฿1,189

3.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CA$142

$115 ฿3,883

-12.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$83.7 ฿2,816

45.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 CA$2,404

$626 ฿21.0K

173.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,272

$445 ฿15.0K

262.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,034 CA$4,269

$2,040 ฿68.6K

48.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,786 CA$2,514

$1,492 ฿50.2K

19.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,270 CA$6,008

$3,483 ฿117.1K

22.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,563 CA$5,014

$2,577 ฿86.7K

38.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,212 CA$5,927

$500 ฿16.8K

742.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.1

5.33

51.97%

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

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,709 in Iqaluit, NU and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays 743% 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: $67.0 in Iqaluit, NU vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $416 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

Iqaluit, NU vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 143% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 743% higher in Iqaluit, NU, 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: $1,709 in Iqaluit, NU versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $989 in Iqaluit, NU 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 44% higher in Iqaluit, NU. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $3,041 in Iqaluit, NU, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Iqaluit, NU. 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 Iqaluit, NU, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Iqaluit, NU 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 143% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.