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: $3,053 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,047 in Iqaluit, NU versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,042 in Iqaluit, NU versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Iqaluit, NU is roughly 141% more expensive than 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

$31.29 CA$43.33

$4.70 ฿153

565.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 CA$91.0

$45.37 ฿1,482

44.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.97 CA$17.96

$8.43 ฿275

53.86%

Cappuccino

$6.69 CA$9.26

$2.93 ฿95.6

128.33%

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

$3.99 CA$5.53

$0.69 ฿22.40

478.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.33

$0.37 ฿11.99

354.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 CA$9.53

$2.41 ฿78.6

185.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 CA$8.30

$3.72 ฿122

61.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.37

$2.23 ฿72.9

9.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 CA$3.72

$1.83 ฿59.8

46.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.16

$2.17 ฿70.8

38.25%

Eggs

$4.41 CA$6.11

$2.21 ฿72.3

99.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 CA$16.85

$19.74 ฿645

-38.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 CA$18.86

$3.63 ฿119

275.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.77 CA$34.30

$13.53 ฿442

83.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 CA$2.82

$3.28 ฿107

-38.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.12

$1.61 ฿52.6

85.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 CA$2.72

$2.41 ฿78.6

-18.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 CA$2.81

$2.08 ฿68.1

-2.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 CA$4.10

$1.53 ฿49.93

93.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.41

$1.48 ฿48.36

163.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 CA$4.14

$0.99 ฿32.29

202.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 CA$4.92

$0.51 ฿16.67

596.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.43 CA$19.98

$4.41 ฿144

227.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.80 CA$17.73

$19.38 ฿633

-33.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$1.78 ฿58.1

-17.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 CA$3.03

$2.71 ฿88.6

-19.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 CA$3.25

$1.37 ฿44.79

71.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$144 CA$200

$11.39 ฿372

1166.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.82 CA$9.44

$3.02 ฿98.6

125.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 CA$0.98

$0.99 ฿32.48

-28.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.47 CA$35.26

$14.10 ฿461

80.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 CA$1.76

$1.36 ฿44.51

-6.62%

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

$50.5K CA$70.0K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

79.19%

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

$45.7K CA$63.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

38.88%

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

$119 CA$164

$122 ฿3,975

-2.40%

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

$54.3 CA$75.2

$13.57 ฿443

300.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 CA$77.9

$18.31 ฿598

207.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.07 CA$58.3

$60.2 ฿1,967

-30.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.02 CA$30.49

$17.14 ฿560

28.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.50 CA$11.77

$8.69 ฿284

-2.19%

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

$1,019 CA$1,411

$693 ฿22.6K

46.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,997 CA$5,534

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-74.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 CA$87.0

$59.5 ฿1,944

5.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 CA$51.1

$34.77 ฿1,136

6.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$143

$115 ฿3,743

-9.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$167

$83.3 ฿2,720

44.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,687 CA$2,336

$613 ฿20.0K

175.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 CA$2,169

$437 ฿14.3K

258.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,136 CA$4,342

$2,094 ฿68.4K

49.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,838 CA$2,545

$1,509 ฿49.3K

21.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,603 CA$6,373

$3,749 ฿122.5K

22.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,811 CA$5,277

$2,616 ฿85.4K

45.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,299 CA$5,952

$508 ฿16.6K

746.02%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,687 in Iqaluit, NU and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays 746% 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: $66.0 in Iqaluit, NU vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 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

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 141% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Iqaluit, NU pays 746% 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: $1,687 in Iqaluit, NU versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,019 in Iqaluit, NU 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 41% higher in Iqaluit, NU. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,053 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 141% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.