Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guelph

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,693 in Guelph, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Guelph, Canada
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Guelph
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,693
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Guelph

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,693 in Guelph.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Guelph $2,693

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,753 in Guelph.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Guelph $3,753

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,814 in Guelph.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Guelph $4,814

Living in Phuket costs roughly 53% less than in Guelph, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Guelph is 98% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Guelph
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$21.26 CA$29.73
-78.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,092
$70.7 CA$98.9
-54.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$11.61 CA$16.24
-24.12%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.3
$3.49 CA$4.88
-18.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.37
$1.44 CA$2.01
-39.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.64
$1.31 CA$1.83
-62.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.2
$5.10 CA$7.14
-49.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$5.85 CA$8.18
-37.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Guelph
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$2.16 CA$3.02
-23.15%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.25
$2.78 CA$3.89
-47.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.4
$3.78 CA$5.29
-60.32%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.4
$3.06 CA$4.28
-31.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿642
$10.04 CA$14.05
89.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$16.01 CA$22.39
-79.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$22.09 CA$30.90
-50.61%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.7
$3.54 CA$4.95
-17.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$1.32 CA$1.84
28.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$4.34 CA$6.08
-48.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$4.74 CA$6.63
-56.12%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$3.48 CA$4.87
-56.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.47
$2.34 CA$3.27
-41.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.91
$3.02 CA$4.22
-64.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.49
$1.48 CA$2.07
-64.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$10.86 CA$15.18
-61.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿633
$10.94 CA$15.30
71.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$3.50 CA$4.90
-48.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.7
$3.11 CA$4.35
-8.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Guelph
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$2.28 CA$3.20
-36.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,909
$65.9 CA$92.2
-14.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.34 CA$3.27
29.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.29
$1.83 CA$2.57
-44.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$23.94 CA$33.48
-84.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.70
$1.17 CA$1.64
25.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿902.4K
$28.4K CA$39.7K
-5.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿899.5K
$22.9K CA$32.0K
16.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Guelph
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,247
$122 CA$171
-21.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$42.99 CA$60.1
-73.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$56.3 CA$78.7
-70.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Guelph
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,266
$47.50 CA$66.4
41.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿361
$14.55 CA$20.36
-26.25%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$10.55 CA$14.76
-28.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Guelph
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.0K
$832 CA$1,163
-42.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.6K
$17.2K CA$24.0K
-34.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Guelph
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,102
$62.9 CA$88.0
-0.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿957
$36.51 CA$51.1
-22.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,178
$84.9 CA$119
11.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,892
$124 CA$174
-30.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Guelph
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$1,515 CA$2,119
-52.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.5K
$1,472 CA$2,059
-66.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿64.9K
$2,164 CA$3,027
-10.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.2K
$2,008 CA$2,808
-28.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.7K
$4,967 CA$6,947
-15.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.6K
$4,356 CA$6,093
-30.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Guelph
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$3,053 CA$4,270
-83.55%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.99
11.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Guelph: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Guelph
$1.5K 200% $981
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Guelph
$410 54.2% $144
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Guelph
$221 77.8% $97
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Guelph
$139 13.9% $17
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Guelph
$295 142% $173
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Guelph
$69 16.6% $14
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Guelph
$87 22.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,515 in Guelph. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guelph pays about 6.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $71 in Guelph for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $410 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇨🇦 Guelph
🕒 Local time
13:51 1:51 PM
02:51 2:51 AM
11 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
131,794
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.642 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Guelph 14,290 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Guelph

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 Guelph: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Guelph?
Phuket is about 53% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Guelph?
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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Guelph?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,515 in Guelph. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Guelph?
Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Guelph. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Guelph?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $71 in Guelph. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Guelph?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,693 in Guelph, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Guelph. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Guelph?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Guelph. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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