Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Alert

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,200 in Alert, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Alert
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Alert Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Alert

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,200

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Alert

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $2,200 in Alert, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Alert $2,200

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $3,177 in Alert, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Alert $3,177

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $4,153 in Alert, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Alert $4,153

Phuket is about 45% cheaper than Alert, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Alert is 63% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿154

$19.71 CA$28.02

-76.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,090

$70.3 CA$100.0

-53.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿287

$9.35 CA$13.29

-8.56%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.3

$3.76 CA$5.35

-27.66%

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

$0.94 ฿31.37

$1.81 CA$2.57

-48.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.46

$1.81 CA$2.57

-72.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.9

$5.04 CA$7.17

-48.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿129

$5.71 CA$8.12

-32.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.81 CA$2.58

-3.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿48.01

$2.67 CA$3.80

-46.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.2

$3.27 CA$4.64

-53.21%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$3.36 CA$4.77

-35.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿642

$9.60 CA$13.65

99.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$9.93 CA$14.12

-66.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿374

$15.03 CA$21.36

-25.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.9

$3.50 CA$4.98

-15.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.3

$1.11 CA$1.57

51.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿77.1

$3.70 CA$5.26

-37.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.6

$3.68 CA$5.23

-42.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.3

$2.53 CA$3.59

-39.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.73

$2.12 CA$3.01

-35.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.59

$2.35 CA$3.35

-52.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.31

$1.62 CA$2.31

-66.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿143

$12.52 CA$17.80

-65.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿610

$14.15 CA$20.12

28.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$2.28 CA$3.24

-23.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.7

$3.08 CA$4.38

-9.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.3

$2.58 CA$3.66

-13.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿740

$63.7 CA$90.6

-65.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.7

$2.57 CA$3.66

13.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.93

$1.31 CA$1.86

-22.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$22.92 CA$32.59

-83.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$1.17 CA$1.67

27.35%

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

$26.7K ฿895.1K

$25.4K CA$36.1K

5.04%

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

$26.7K ฿896.1K

$21.8K CA$31.0K

22.56%

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

$99.4 ฿3,334

$126 CA$179

-21.10%

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

$11.28 ฿379

$43.61 CA$62.0

-74.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿582

$50.6 CA$72.0

-65.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,754

$36.47 CA$51.9

43.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿364

$18.78 CA$26.71

-42.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿254

$11.71 CA$16.65

-35.35%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$637 CA$905

-12.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿385.4K

$11.2K CA$16.0K

2.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,110

$48.27 CA$68.6

30.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿959

$38.59 CA$54.9

-25.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,226

$86.7 CA$123

10.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,954

$90.4 CA$129

-2.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.5K

$1,097 CA$1,560

-33.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$1,097 CA$1,560

-58.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.3K

$1,981 CA$2,816

5.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿41.0K

$1,616 CA$2,298

-24.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿116.0K

$4,460 CA$6,341

-22.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.5K

$3,454 CA$4,911

-27.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.66

19.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Alert: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Alert

$1.1K 49.9% 139% $637

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Alert

$339 15.4% 26.6% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Alert

$220 10% 72% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Alert

$119 5.4% 4.2% $5.3

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Alert

$282 12.8% 132% $161

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Alert

$60 2.7% 11.2% $7.5

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Alert

$83 3.8% 114% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $1,097 in Alert. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $70.0 in Alert. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $339 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇦 Alert

🕒 Local time

03:39 3:39 AM

16:39 4:39 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.55 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Phuket Alert 9,920 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Alert

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

Phuket vs Alert: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,207 in Phuket, $2,200 in Alert – roughly 82% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $3,300 in Alert. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Alert, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $70.0 in Alert. 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 $1,207, than in Alert at $2,200. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alert it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,207 in Phuket to $2,200 in Alert. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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