Cost of Living Comparison Between Milton and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Milton and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,143 in Milton versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,242 in Milton versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,341 in Milton versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Milton is roughly 151% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Milton is 135% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 CA$20.68

$4.55 ฿153

224.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 CA$105

$46.18 ฿1,554

62.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.00 CA$18.23

$8.84 ฿298

47.06%

Cappuccino

$3.78 CA$5.31

$3.06 ฿103

23.53%

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

$3.15 CA$4.41

$0.73 ฿24.42

331.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.42

$0.40 ฿13.40

510.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 CA$11.29

$2.43 ฿81.8

231.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 CA$7.86

$3.78 ฿127

48.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 CA$3.34

$2.26 ฿76.0

5.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 CA$3.68

$1.81 ฿60.9

44.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.23

$2.25 ฿75.8

97.33%

Eggs

$3.40 CA$4.76

$2.25 ฿75.6

51.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.60 CA$9.25

$19.51 ฿656

-66.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.60 CA$41.51

$3.65 ฿123

710.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 CA$26.81

$13.05 ฿439

46.51%

Apples (1kg)

$5.46 CA$7.66

$3.23 ฿109

69.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 CA$2.17

$1.62 ฿54.4

-4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.13

$2.38 ฿80.2

23.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 CA$4.52

$2.03 ฿68.2

58.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 CA$1.54

$1.53 ฿51.6

-28.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 CA$1.75

$1.50 ฿50.5

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 CA$2.44

$0.98 ฿32.93

77.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 CA$3.14

$0.52 ฿17.40

330.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.34 CA$17.30

$4.44 ฿149

177.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.19 CA$18.49

$18.32 ฿616

-28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 CA$3.05

$1.86 ฿62.7

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.96

$2.68 ฿90.2

5.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 CA$4.03

$1.41 ฿47.49

103.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.49 CA$63.8

$11.70 ฿394

288.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 CA$4.31

$3.11 ฿105

-0.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.09

$1.04 ฿35.08

43.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.38 CA$51.0

$14.11 ฿475

157.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 CA$1.53

$1.31 ฿44.13

-16.79%

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

$25.1K CA$35.2K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-9.68%

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

$23.9K CA$33.5K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-28.13%

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

$249 CA$348

$122 ฿4,120

102.99%

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

$59.9 CA$83.9

$13.59 ฿457

340.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.6 CA$96.2

$18.70 ฿629

266.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.58 CA$45.67

$60.5 ฿2,035

-46.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$16.52 CA$23.16

$9.07 ฿305

82.14%

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

$550 CA$771

$706 ฿23.8K

-22.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K CA$16.7K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-24.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 CA$77.8

$58.6 ฿1,970

-5.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 CA$75.8

$35.36 ฿1,190

52.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 CA$131

$115 ฿3,885

-19.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 CA$179

$83.7 ฿2,818

52.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 CA$2,495

$626 ฿21.1K

184.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,350

$445 ฿15.0K

276.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,631 CA$3,689

$2,040 ฿68.7K

28.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 CA$3,311

$1,492 ฿50.2K

58.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,655 CA$6,527

$3,483 ฿117.2K

33.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,065 CA$5,699

$2,577 ฿86.7K

57.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,438

$500 ฿16.8K

533.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

5.33

27.58%

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

Last update for Milton: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,780 in Milton and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milton pays 533% 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: $75.0 in Milton vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $454 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

Milton vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milton and Phuket differ by about 151% in total monthly costs ($3,143 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 533% higher in Milton, 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: $1,780 in Milton versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 289% less than in Milton. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $550 in Milton versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $3,143 in Milton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Milton. 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, Milton 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 151% less than in Milton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.