Cost of Living Comparison Between Markham and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Markham and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,793 in Markham versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,910 in Markham versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,027 in Markham versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Markham is roughly 121% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Markham is 108% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.62 CA$20.42

$4.56 ฿149

220.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 CA$114

$46.63 ฿1,519

75.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.83 CA$12.32

$8.47 ฿276

4.25%

Cappuccino

$3.16 CA$4.42

$3.03 ฿98.6

4.29%

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

$2.11 CA$2.95

$0.69 ฿22.45

205.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CA$1.91

$0.37 ฿11.92

270.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.79 CA$5.29

$2.49 ฿81.0

52.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 CA$9.43

$3.66 ฿119

84.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 CA$2.44

$2.18 ฿71.0

-19.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 CA$3.17

$1.90 ฿62.0

19.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 CA$2.26

$2.20 ฿71.6

-26.36%

Eggs

$3.44 CA$4.80

$2.22 ฿72.4

54.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.57 CA$21.75

$19.99 ฿651

-22.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 CA$13.82

$3.66 ฿119

170.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 CA$10.42

$13.25 ฿432

-43.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 CA$6.14

$3.23 ฿105

35.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.02

$1.70 ฿55.3

-14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.39 ฿78.0

3.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.75

$2.08 ฿67.7

63.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 CA$3.34

$1.59 ฿51.8

50.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 CA$2.90

$1.48 ฿48.31

40.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.09 CA$4.31

$1.03 ฿33.54

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$0.52 ฿16.83

215.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.95 CA$19.47

$4.25 ฿138

228.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 CA$20.86

$18.79 ฿612

-20.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 CA$3.05

$1.76 ฿57.2

23.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 CA$3.26

$2.76 ฿89.8

-15.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 CA$4.42

$1.36 ฿44.32

133.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.9 CA$131

$11.36 ฿370

726.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 CA$4.31

$3.14 ฿102

-1.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 CA$3.99

$1.04 ฿33.74

174.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.91 CA$30.60

$13.77 ฿448

59.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 CA$1.52

$1.34 ฿43.79

-18.66%

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

$25.1K CA$35.1K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-9.27%

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

$19.7K CA$27.5K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-41.89%

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

$202 CA$282

$124 ฿4,025

63.65%

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

$33.58 CA$46.89

$13.52 ฿440

148.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 CA$83.4

$18.69 ฿609

219.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.85 CA$62.6

$61.8 ฿2,013

-27.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.41 CA$20.13

$17.25 ฿562

-16.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.74 CA$15.00

$9.14 ฿298

17.51%

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

$916 CA$1,280

$703 ฿22.9K

30.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.0K CA$40.5K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

82.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.91 CA$62.7

$59.5 ฿1,937

-24.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.61 CA$51.1

$35.07 ฿1,142

4.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.5 CA$84.5

$115 ฿3,754

-47.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 CA$114

$84.1 ฿2,737

-2.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 CA$2,369

$619 ฿20.1K

174.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 CA$2,228

$433 ฿14.1K

268.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,984 CA$4,167

$2,062 ฿67.2K

44.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 CA$3,531

$1,511 ฿49.2K

67.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,886 CA$8,220

$3,646 ฿118.7K

61.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,575 CA$7,785

$2,626 ฿85.5K

112.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,150 CA$4,399

$507 ฿16.5K

521.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

5.33

23.64%

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

Last update for Markham: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Markham and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Markham pays 521% 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: $82.0 in Markham vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 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

Markham vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 121% lower than in Markham. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Markham pays 521% 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: $1,697 in Markham versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $916 in Markham versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Markham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,793 in Markham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Markham. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,261 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Markham 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 121% less than in Markham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.