Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,303 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Calgary

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,303 in Calgary.

Phuket $1,278
Calgary $2,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,366 in Calgary.

Phuket $2,216
Calgary $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,428 in Calgary.

Phuket $3,154
Calgary $4,428

Living in Phuket costs roughly 44% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Calgary is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$17.55 CA$24.52

-74.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$70.4 CA$98.4

-53.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.69 CA$14.94

-17.59%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.89 CA$5.43

-27.25%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.04 CA$2.85

-57.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.88 CA$2.62

-73.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$4.90 CA$6.84

-47.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.78 CA$8.08

-36.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.96 CA$2.74

-15.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$2.74 CA$3.83

-46.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$5.46 CA$7.63

-72.53%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.69 CA$5.15

-43.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$11.24 CA$15.71

69.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$11.54 CA$16.12

-71.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$18.38 CA$25.68

-40.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$4.90 CA$6.85

-40.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.42 CA$1.99

19.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.21 CA$5.88

-46.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.02 CA$5.62

-48.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.69 CA$3.77

-43.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$2.66 CA$3.72

-48.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$2.61 CA$3.65

-59.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.60 CA$2.23

-67.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$14.00 CA$19.57

-70.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$15.40 CA$21.52

22.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.50 CA$3.49

-27.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$3.09 CA$4.32

-8.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$2.93 CA$4.09

-50.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$89.3 CA$125

-36.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.27 CA$4.57

-7.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.35 CA$1.89

-24.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$27.39 CA$38.27

-86.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.17 CA$1.64

25.64%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$27.9K CA$39.0K

-4.17%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$21.0K CA$29.4K

26.88%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$167 CA$233

-42.21%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$38.27 CA$53.5

-70.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$50.9 CA$71.2

-66.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$51.0 CA$71.2

31.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$18.17 CA$25.39

-40.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$14.44 CA$20.18

-48.06%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$545 CA$762

-12.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$16.2K CA$22.7K

-30.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$58.9 CA$82.3

5.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$39.75 CA$55.6

-28.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$93.4 CA$130

0.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$110 CA$154

-22.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,254 CA$1,752

-42.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,056 CA$1,476

-53.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,022 CA$2,826

-4.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,629 CA$2,276

-12.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$3,600 CA$5,031

15.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$3,243 CA$4,531

-6.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$3,115 CA$4,353

-83.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.51

23.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Calgary

$1.1K 45.9% 115% $566

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Calgary

$393 17.1% 47.5% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Calgary

$256 11.1% 106% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Calgary

$136 5.9% 11.5% $14

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Calgary

$271 11.8% 123% $149

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Calgary

$80 3.5% 2.9% $2.4

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Calgary

$111 4.8% 57.3% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,254 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays about 6.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $70 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $393 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

22:03 10:03 PM

09:03 9:03 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Calgary 12,760 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Calgary

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 Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,254 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $70 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $2,303 in Calgary – Phuket is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,303 in Calgary, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Calgary. 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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.