Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and London, Canada

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,342 in London, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
London, Canada
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
London
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,342
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in London

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,342 in London.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • London $2,342

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,356 in London.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • London $3,356

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,370 in London.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • London $4,370

Living in Phuket costs roughly 45% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, London is 72% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$21.44 CA$29.96
-79.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$64.9 CA$90.6
-50.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$12.45 CA$17.40
-29.24%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$3.75 CA$5.24
-24.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$2.21 CA$3.09
-60.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$2.13 CA$2.98
-77.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$6.26 CA$8.74
-59.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$6.40 CA$8.94
-42.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.89 CA$2.64
-12.17%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$2.67 CA$3.73
-45.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$4.07 CA$5.68
-63.14%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$3.69 CA$5.15
-43.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$10.02 CA$14.00
90.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$11.75 CA$16.41
-71.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$14.92 CA$20.85
-26.88%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$4.38 CA$6.11
-33.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.21 CA$1.68
39.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$3.79 CA$5.29
-40.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$4.21 CA$5.88
-50.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$3.20 CA$4.47
-52.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$3.07 CA$4.30
-55.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$2.52 CA$3.53
-57.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$1.54 CA$2.16
-66.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$12.01 CA$16.78
-65.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$12.68 CA$17.72
48.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$2.55 CA$3.57
-28.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$2.91 CA$4.07
-2.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
$2.55 CA$3.56
-43.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$80.3 CA$112
-29.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.45 CA$3.42
23.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$1.64 CA$2.29
-37.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$22.15 CA$30.95
-83.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.25 CA$1.74
17.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$26.8K CA$37.5K
-0.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$23.2K CA$32.4K
15.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$139 CA$194
-30.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$39.22 CA$54.8
-71.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$56.6 CA$79.1
-70.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$35.95 CA$50.2
87.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$28.81 CA$40.25
-62.76%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$10.83 CA$15.14
-30.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$419 CA$586
13.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$20.8K CA$29.1K
-45.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$54.2 CA$75.7
15.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$38.94 CA$54.4
-27.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$81.1 CA$113
16.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$91.4 CA$128
-6.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$1,323 CA$1,849
-45.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$1,149 CA$1,606
-57.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$2,099 CA$2,932
-8.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$1,681 CA$2,349
-14.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$4,124 CA$5,762
1.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$3,452 CA$4,823
-11.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$3,052 CA$4,265
-83.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.72
18.01%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
London
$1.1K 134% $659
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
London
$364 36.6% $98
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
London
$235 88.6% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
London
$119 2% $2.4
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
London
$315 159% $194
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
London
$58 29.9% $25
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
London
$101 43.3% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,323 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London 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 $65 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $364 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇨🇦 London
🕒 Local time
07:50 7:50 AM
19:50 7:50 PM
12 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
383,822
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket London 14,360 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • London

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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than London?
Phuket is about 45% 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 London?
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 London?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,323 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Phuket and in London?
All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $2,342 in London – Phuket is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 29% less than in London. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in London?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,342 in London, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in London. 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 London?
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 safer, Phuket or London?
Safety-wise, Phuket and London are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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