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: $3,044 in Milton versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,159 in Milton versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,275 in Milton versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Milton is roughly 141% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Milton is 127% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.65 CA$20.29

$4.70 ฿153

211.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$100

$45.37 ฿1,482

59.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.96 CA$17.95

$8.43 ฿275

53.74%

Cappuccino

$3.86 CA$5.34

$2.93 ฿95.6

31.74%

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

$3.23 CA$4.48

$0.69 ฿22.40

368.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.46

$0.37 ฿11.99

575.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 CA$11.08

$2.41 ฿78.6

231.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 CA$7.48

$3.72 ฿122

45.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 CA$3.47

$2.23 ฿72.9

12.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 CA$3.61

$1.83 ฿59.8

42.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.55 CA$6.30

$2.17 ฿70.8

109.68%

Eggs

$3.47 CA$4.81

$2.21 ฿72.3

57.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.61 CA$9.15

$19.74 ฿645

-66.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.96 CA$41.49

$3.63 ฿119

725.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.04 CA$26.37

$13.53 ฿442

40.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.60 CA$7.76

$3.28 ฿107

70.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 CA$2.18

$1.61 ฿52.6

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 CA$4.03

$2.41 ฿78.6

20.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.56

$2.08 ฿68.1

58.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 CA$1.44

$1.53 ฿49.93

-32.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 CA$1.74

$1.48 ฿48.36

-14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 CA$2.29

$0.99 ฿32.29

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.15

$0.51 ฿16.67

345.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.57 CA$17.40

$4.41 ฿144

185.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.56 CA$18.77

$19.38 ฿633

-30.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 CA$3.12

$1.78 ฿58.1

26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 CA$3.74

$2.71 ฿88.6

-0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.06

$1.37 ฿44.79

113.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.77 CA$63.4

$11.39 ฿372

301.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 CA$4.34

$3.02 ฿98.6

3.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 CA$2.01

$0.99 ฿32.48

46.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.15 CA$51.4

$14.10 ฿461

163.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 CA$1.51

$1.36 ฿44.51

-19.85%

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

$24.8K CA$34.4K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-11.98%

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

$24.2K CA$33.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-26.38%

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

$247 CA$341

$122 ฿3,975

102.64%

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

$60.4 CA$83.6

$13.57 ฿443

345.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 CA$93.8

$18.31 ฿598

269.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.36 CA$46.19

$60.2 ฿1,967

-44.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$16.87 CA$23.35

$8.69 ฿284

94.13%

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

$556 CA$770

$693 ฿22.6K

-19.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.3K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-24.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 CA$79.6

$59.5 ฿1,944

-3.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 CA$74.3

$34.77 ฿1,136

54.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 CA$132

$115 ฿3,743

-17.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 CA$179

$83.3 ฿2,720

55.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 CA$2,469

$613 ฿20.0K

190.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,672 CA$2,315

$437 ฿14.3K

282.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 CA$3,583

$2,094 ฿68.4K

23.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,288 CA$3,168

$1,509 ฿49.3K

51.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,840 CA$6,701

$3,749 ฿122.5K

29.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,220 CA$5,843

$2,616 ฿85.4K

61.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,162 CA$4,378

$508 ฿16.6K

522.26%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,783 in Milton and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milton 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: $72.0 in Milton vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 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

Milton vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milton and Phuket differ by about 141% in total monthly costs ($3,044 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Milton 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: $1,783 in Milton versus $613 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 302% less than in Milton. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $556 in Milton versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,044 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 141% less than in Milton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.