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: $2,802 in Markham versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,919 in Markham versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,035 in Markham versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Markham is roughly 128% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Markham is 109% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.56 CA$19.94

$4.63 ฿151

214.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 CA$110

$46.84 ฿1,523

71.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 CA$12.03

$8.84 ฿287

-0.68%

Cappuccino

$3.26 CA$4.47

$3.00 ฿97.4

8.67%

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

$2.10 CA$2.87

$0.74 ฿24.11

183.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 CA$1.86

$0.37 ฿11.88

267.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 CA$5.17

$2.44 ฿79.3

54.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 CA$8.87

$3.61 ฿117

79.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 CA$2.43

$2.26 ฿73.5

-21.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 CA$3.11

$1.84 ฿59.8

23.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 CA$2.15

$2.24 ฿73.0

-29.91%

Eggs

$3.32 CA$4.55

$2.32 ฿75.3

43.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.61 CA$21.38

$19.67 ฿639

-20.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 CA$13.61

$3.65 ฿119

172.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.38 CA$10.11

$13.10 ฿426

-43.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 CA$6.14

$3.39 ฿110

32.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 CA$1.92

$1.64 ฿53.4

-14.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.40

$2.41 ฿78.5

2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.64

$2.03 ฿66.0

67.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.31

$1.56 ฿50.6

54.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 CA$2.89

$1.50 ฿48.66

40.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.16 CA$4.33

$1.02 ฿33.30

209.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.29

$0.49 ฿15.91

240.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.13 CA$19.36

$4.45 ฿145

217.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 CA$20.81

$18.88 ฿614

-19.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 CA$3.13

$1.78 ฿57.7

28.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.09

$2.75 ฿89.5

-18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 CA$4.34

$1.40 ฿45.54

126.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.4 CA$131

$11.48 ฿373

731.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.39

$3.12 ฿101

2.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 CA$3.76

$1.00 ฿32.48

174.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.70 CA$29.73

$14.09 ฿458

54.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 CA$1.49

$1.35 ฿43.93

-19.26%

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

$25.1K CA$34.4K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-7.68%

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

$19.9K CA$27.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-39.64%

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

$206 CA$282

$125 ฿4,063

64.70%

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

$33.43 CA$45.80

$13.57 ฿441

146.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 CA$81.7

$18.52 ฿602

221.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.27 CA$63.4

$61.5 ฿1,999

-24.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 CA$19.84

$16.84 ฿547

-14.01%

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 CA$15.03

$9.19 ฿299

19.37%

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

$911 CA$1,249

$698 ฿22.7K

30.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.9K CA$39.6K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

85.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.74 CA$61.3

$57.8 ฿1,878

-22.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 CA$50.4

$35.24 ฿1,146

4.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 CA$83.6

$113 ฿3,677

-46.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.6 CA$112

$86.4 ฿2,808

-5.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 CA$2,349

$616 ฿20.0K

178.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 CA$2,200

$446 ฿14.5K

260.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,967 CA$4,064

$2,048 ฿66.6K

44.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,458 CA$3,368

$1,492 ฿48.5K

64.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,173 CA$8,456

$3,779 ฿122.8K

63.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,668 CA$7,765

$2,649 ฿86.1K

114.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,259 CA$4,465

$524 ฿17.0K

522.19%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,715 in Markham and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Markham pays 522% 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: $80.0 in Markham vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $292 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 128% 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 522% 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: $1,715 in Markham versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $911 in Markham versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Markham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,802 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 $1,232 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 128% less than in Markham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.