Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Armstrong

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,303 in Armstrong, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Armstrong
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Armstrong Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Armstrong

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Armstrong

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 Armstrong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,303 in Armstrong.

Phuket $1,207
Armstrong $2,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $3,345 in Armstrong.

Phuket $2,037
Armstrong $3,345

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $4,386 in Armstrong.

Phuket $2,867
Armstrong $4,386

Living in Phuket costs roughly 48% less than in Armstrong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Armstrong is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿154

$20.75 CA$29.51

-77.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,090

$73.3 CA$104

-55.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿287

$10.68 CA$15.18

-19.94%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.3

$3.57 CA$5.08

-23.81%

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

$0.94 ฿31.37

$2.56 CA$3.65

-63.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.46

$1.70 CA$2.42

-71.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.9

$5.96 CA$8.48

-56.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿129

$6.17 CA$8.78

-37.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$2.29 CA$3.25

-24.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿48.01

$2.43 CA$3.45

-41.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.2

$3.12 CA$4.44

-50.96%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$3.70 CA$5.26

-41.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿642

$9.69 CA$13.77

97.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$10.34 CA$14.71

-68.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿374

$16.95 CA$24.10

-34.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.9

$3.72 CA$5.29

-20.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.3

$1.38 CA$1.96

21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿77.1

$4.04 CA$5.75

-43.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.6

$4.07 CA$5.79

-47.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.3

$2.54 CA$3.61

-39.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.73

$2.22 CA$3.16

-38.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.59

$2.45 CA$3.49

-54.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.31

$1.42 CA$2.02

-61.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿143

$12.98 CA$18.45

-67.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿610

$12.37 CA$17.59

47.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$3.25 CA$4.62

-46.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.7

$3.81 CA$5.42

-26.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.3

$2.22 CA$3.15

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿740

$64.6 CA$91.8

-65.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.7

$2.13 CA$3.03

36.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.93

$1.88 CA$2.67

-46.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$12.11 CA$17.22

-68.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$1.23 CA$1.75

21.14%

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

$26.7K ฿895.1K

$24.6K CA$35.0K

8.47%

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

$26.7K ฿896.1K

$18.4K CA$26.2K

44.78%

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

$99.4 ฿3,334

$130 CA$185

-23.62%

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

$11.28 ฿379

$27.75 CA$39.46

-59.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿582

$55.7 CA$79.1

-68.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,754

$37.89 CA$53.9

38.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿364

$15.43 CA$21.94

-29.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿254

$10.00 CA$14.21

-24.30%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$138 CA$197

303.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿385.4K

$3,902 CA$5,548

194.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,110

$58.0 CA$82.4

8.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿959

$38.00 CA$54.0

-24.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,226

$80.7 CA$115

19.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,954

$75.1 CA$107

17.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.5K

$1,058 CA$1,505

-31.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$1,176 CA$1,673

-60.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.3K

$1,808 CA$2,570

15.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿41.0K

$1,793 CA$2,550

-31.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿116.0K

$3,559 CA$5,060

-2.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.5K

$3,697 CA$5,257

-32.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.58

21.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Armstrong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Armstrong

$1.2K 51.1% 156% $716

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Armstrong

$357 15.5% 33.4% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Armstrong

$214 9.3% 66.8% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Armstrong

$113 4.9% 8.7% $11

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Armstrong

$300 13% 147% $179

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Armstrong

$58 2.5% 14.2% $9.5

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Armstrong

$85 3.7% 119% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $1,058 in Armstrong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $73.0 in Armstrong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $357 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇦 Armstrong

🕒 Local time

06:28 6:28 AM

19:28 7:28 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 = 37.56 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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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Armstrong 13,510 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Armstrong

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 Armstrong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,811 in Phuket and $3,455 in Armstrong to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $1,058 in Armstrong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 193% less than in Armstrong. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $138 in Armstrong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,303 in Armstrong, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Armstrong. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Armstrong, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Armstrong 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 91% less than in Armstrong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.