Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,064 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montreal and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Phuket $3,154

Montreal costs about 62% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 52% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.55

$4.47 ฿151

324.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$32.41 ฿1,092

125.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.22

$8.81 ฿297

23.50%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.34

$2.83 ฿95.3

34.63%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$0.87 ฿29.37

122.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$0.49 ฿16.64

222.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.91

$2.56 ฿86.2

148.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.16

$3.68 ฿124

97.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.66 ฿55.9

34.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$1.46 ฿49.25

117.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.63

$1.50 ฿50.4

120.67%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.08

$2.09 ฿70.4

73.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.40

$19.07 ฿642

-30.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.17

$3.30 ฿111

250.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.18

$10.91 ฿368

25.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$2.93 ฿98.7

12.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.69 ฿56.9

-13.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$2.25 ฿75.7

49.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$2.08 ฿70.0

51.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$1.51 ฿50.9

25.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$1.38 ฿46.47

29.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.46

$1.07 ฿35.91

130.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$0.52 ฿17.49

203.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.78

$4.20 ฿142

168.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.68

$18.79 ฿633

-44.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.27

$1.82 ฿61.4

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$2.84 ฿95.7

2.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.45 ฿48.93

80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$56.7 ฿1,909

39.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$3.02 ฿102

7.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.02 ฿34.29

41.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.76

$3.69 ฿124

805.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.47 ฿49.70

-9.52%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$26.8K ฿902.4K

6.93%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$26.7K ฿899.5K

-20.95%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$96.4 ฿3,247

-16.91%

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

$34.30 CA$47.98

$11.26 ฿380

204.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$16.85 ฿568

154.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.56

$67.2 ฿2,266

-53.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.14

$10.73 ฿361

80.89%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.71

$7.50 ฿253

49.73%

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

$525 CA$734

$476 ฿16.0K

10.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$11.3K ฿379.6K

44.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.1

$62.4 ฿2,102

-6.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$28.41 ฿957

34.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$94.3 ฿3,178

-0.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$85.8 ฿2,892

28.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,797

$716 ฿24.1K

79.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,366

$491 ฿16.5K

98.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,176

$1,927 ฿64.9K

17.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,329

$1,431 ฿48.2K

16.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,188

$4,175 ฿140.7K

23.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,363

$3,045 ฿102.6K

25.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,199

$502 ฿16.9K

497.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

5.57

-19.57%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 49.7% $486

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 24.2% $85

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 58.1% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 20.8% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 9.6% $13

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 29.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 53.4% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Montreal are about 6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

18:57 6:57 PM

11 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

79,308

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Phuket 14,020 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Montreal vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 62% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,285 in Montreal.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Montreal, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Montreal at $2,064. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,278 versus $2,064 in Montreal. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.