Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Burlington

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,737 in Burlington, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Burlington
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Burlington Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Burlington

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Burlington

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,737 in Burlington, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Burlington $2,737

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,881 in Burlington, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Burlington $3,881

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $5,025 in Burlington, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Burlington $5,025

Phuket is about 53% cheaper than Burlington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Burlington is 101% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$21.84 CA$30.65

-79.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$72.3 CA$101

-55.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.60 CA$14.87

-16.89%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$3.31 CA$4.64

-14.50%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$2.00 CA$2.81

-56.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.55 CA$2.18

-68.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$5.57 CA$7.82

-54.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.11 CA$8.57

-39.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.60 CA$3.65

-36.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$2.86 CA$4.01

-48.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.78 CA$5.31

-60.32%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.76 CA$5.27

-44.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$10.00 CA$14.03

90.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$10.59 CA$14.86

-68.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$14.78 CA$20.74

-26.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$3.83 CA$5.38

-23.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.48 CA$2.08

14.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.67 CA$3.75

-15.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$3.65 CA$5.12

-43.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.96 CA$2.75

-22.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.92 CA$2.70

-28.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$2.09 CA$2.93

-48.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$1.47 CA$2.07

-64.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$13.64 CA$19.15

-69.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.79 CA$15.15

74.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.80 CA$3.94

-35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.92 CA$4.10

-2.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$2.65 CA$3.71

-45.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$99.8 CA$140

-43.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$5.09 CA$7.15

-40.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$2.44 CA$3.42

-58.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$43.32 CA$60.8

-91.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.19 CA$1.67

23.53%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$27.8K CA$39.0K

-3.64%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$21.7K CA$30.5K

22.79%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$144 CA$202

-33.08%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$44.16 CA$62.0

-74.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$67.4 CA$94.6

-75.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$43.66 CA$61.3

53.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$30.23 CA$42.42

-64.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$16.13 CA$22.64

-53.50%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$902 CA$1,266

-47.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$19.0K CA$26.7K

-40.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$69.3 CA$97.2

-9.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$65.5 CA$91.9

-56.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$100 CA$140

-5.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$99.8 CA$140

-14.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,729 CA$2,426

-58.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,480 CA$2,078

-66.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$2,599 CA$3,647

-25.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,176 CA$3,054

-34.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$5,270 CA$7,396

-20.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$4,145 CA$5,816

-26.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$3,285 CA$4,610

-84.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.52

23.23%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Burlington: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Burlington

$1.5K 54.1% 202% $990

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Burlington

$346 12.7% 30% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Burlington

$256 9.3% 105% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Burlington

$151 5.5% 23.5% $29

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Burlington

$300 11% 147% $179

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Burlington

$76 2.8% 7.7% $6.3

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Burlington

$128 4.7% 80.9% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,729 in Burlington. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Burlington are about 6.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $72 in Burlington. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $346 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇦 Burlington

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

14:48 2:48 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

183,314

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Burlington 14,320 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Burlington

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 Burlington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Burlington is pricier by about 114%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $4,105 in Burlington. 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 $1,729 in Burlington.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $902 in Burlington. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Burlington, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Burlington at $2,737. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burlington it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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