Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Iqaluit, NU

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,164 in Iqaluit, NU, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 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
154

Cost of Living Index in Iqaluit, NU
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Iqaluit, NU Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Canada

$3,164

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Iqaluit, NU

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,164 in Iqaluit, NU.

Phuket $1,278
Iqaluit, NU $3,164

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $5,007 in Iqaluit, NU.

Phuket $2,216
Iqaluit, NU $5,007

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $6,850 in Iqaluit, NU.

Phuket $3,154
Iqaluit, NU $6,850

Living in Phuket costs roughly 60% less than in Iqaluit, NU, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Iqaluit, NU is 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$28.11 CA$39.27

-84.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$65.1 CA$91.0

-50.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$12.93 CA$18.07

-31.86%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$7.31 CA$10.21

-61.29%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$3.81 CA$5.32

-77.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$4.43 CA$6.20

-88.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$6.83 CA$9.54

-62.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.82 CA$8.13

-36.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.38 CA$4.73

-50.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$5.51 CA$7.69

-73.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.91 CA$4.07

-48.45%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.36 CA$6.10

-52.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$12.05 CA$16.84

58.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$13.34 CA$18.63

-75.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$24.54 CA$34.29

-55.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.02 CA$2.82

45.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.95 CA$4.13

-42.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.03 CA$2.84

10.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.98 CA$2.76

5.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.04 CA$4.24

-50.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$3.92 CA$5.48

-64.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$3.08 CA$4.30

-65.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$3.51 CA$4.91

-85.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$14.13 CA$19.74

-70.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.02 CA$7.02

274.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.46 CA$2.04

24.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.11 CA$2.95

34.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$4.87 CA$6.80

-70.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$137 CA$191

-58.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$6.53 CA$9.12

-53.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.69 CA$0.97

47.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.24 CA$1.73

18.55%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$38.6K CA$54.0K

-30.65%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$31.7K CA$44.3K

-15.79%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$114 CA$159

-15.35%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$52.9 CA$73.9

-78.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$53.2 CA$74.4

-68.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$73.9 CA$103

-8.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$21.24 CA$29.68

-49.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$8.27 CA$11.55

-9.31%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,018 CA$1,423

-53.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$3,943 CA$5,509

185.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$60.2 CA$84.1

3.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$35.43 CA$49.51

-19.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$100.0 CA$140

-5.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$116 CA$162

-25.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,790 CA$2,501

-60.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,684 CA$2,353

-70.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,856 CA$3,991

-32.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$3,506 CA$4,898

-59.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$10.2K CA$14.2K

-58.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$7,195 CA$10.1K

-57.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$4,244 CA$5,930

-88.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.32

4.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Iqaluit, NU

$1.7K 53.2% 243% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Iqaluit, NU

$433 13.7% 62.7% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Iqaluit, NU

$220 7% 76.7% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Iqaluit, NU

$140 4.4% 15% $18

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Iqaluit, NU

$430 13.6% 253% $308

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Iqaluit, NU

$90 2.9% 9.9% $8.1

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Iqaluit, NU

$167 5.3% 136% $96

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,790 in Iqaluit, NU. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays about 8.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $65 in Iqaluit, NU for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $433 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇦 Iqaluit, NU

🕒 Local time

16:15 4:15 PM

04:15 4:15 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

8,000

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Iqaluit, NU 11,970 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Iqaluit, NU

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 Iqaluit, NU: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 60% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 88% 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 $1,790 in Iqaluit, NU. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $1,018 in Iqaluit, NU. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Iqaluit, NU. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,164 in Iqaluit, NU, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Iqaluit, NU. 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 60% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.