Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Arviat Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Arviat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,359 in Arviat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $3,424 in Arviat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $4,488 in Arviat.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 47% less than in Arviat, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Arviat is 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$17.21 CA$24.03

-73.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$69.5 CA$97.0

-32.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$10.84 CA$15.14

-21.86%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.68 CA$5.14

-17.66%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.95 CA$2.73

-64.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.66 CA$2.31

-77.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$5.67 CA$7.91

-56.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.86 CA$8.19

-37.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.19 CA$3.06

-0.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.68 CA$3.75

-29.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$3.69 CA$5.15

-40.38%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.48 CA$4.86

-36.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$11.09 CA$15.49

80.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$11.96 CA$16.70

-69.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$14.92 CA$20.84

-11.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$4.12 CA$5.76

-21.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.37 CA$1.91

24.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.69 CA$5.15

-35.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.80 CA$5.31

-45.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.39 CA$3.33

-33.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.51 CA$3.50

-41.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.51 CA$3.51

-58.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.73 CA$2.41

-69.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$13.74 CA$19.19

-69.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$13.79 CA$19.26

36.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.83 CA$3.95

-37.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$3.17 CA$4.42

-12.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$2.40 CA$3.35

-43.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$63.5 CA$88.7

-82.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.21 CA$4.48

-2.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.47 CA$2.06

-29.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$25.79 CA$36.01

-46.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.11 CA$1.55

20.72%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$25.1K CA$35.0K

10.36%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.7K CA$28.9K

63.38%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$141 CA$197

-12.30%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$43.25 CA$60.4

-68.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$63.6 CA$88.8

-70.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$41.64 CA$58.2

48.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$11.28 CA$15.75

-18.97%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$748 CA$1,044

-6.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$11.7K CA$16.4K

35.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$54.5 CA$76.1

9.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$40.00 CA$55.9

-12.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$85.9 CA$120

34.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$106 CA$148

-20.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$1,312 CA$1,832

-52.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$1,193 CA$1,666

-63.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,988 CA$2,777

3.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,829 CA$2,555

-17.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$4,519 CA$6,310

-19.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$3,453 CA$4,822

-23.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.46

-17.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Arviat: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,312 in Arviat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $69.0 in Arviat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $369 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

Phuket vs Arviat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Arviat differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $2,359 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $3,538 in Arviat 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: $619 in Phuket versus $1,312 in Arviat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $748 in Arviat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Arviat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,359 in Arviat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Arviat. 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, Phuket and Arviat 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 87% less than in Arviat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.