Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Medicine Hat

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,806 in Medicine Hat, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Medicine Hat
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Medicine Hat Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Medicine Hat

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $1,806 in Medicine Hat, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Medicine Hat $1,806

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $2,707 in Medicine Hat, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Medicine Hat $2,707

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $3,608 in Medicine Hat, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Medicine Hat $3,608

Phuket is about 33% cheaper than Medicine Hat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Medicine Hat is 34% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$14.42 CA$20.39

-68.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$70.9 CA$100

-54.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$9.84 CA$13.91

-13.11%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$3.65 CA$5.16

-25.48%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.91 CA$2.70

-50.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$1.74 CA$2.46

-71.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$4.87 CA$6.88

-46.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.81 CA$5.39

0.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.52 CA$2.14

14.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.73 CA$2.45

-17.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$3.41 CA$4.82

-55.13%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.04 CA$4.30

-28.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$9.36 CA$13.23

104.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$10.75 CA$15.19

-69.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$12.84 CA$18.15

-13.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$3.16 CA$4.47

-6.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.45 CA$2.05

15.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$2.87 CA$4.06

-19.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$3.57 CA$5.05

-40.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$2.63 CA$3.71

-41.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.46 CA$2.07

-6.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$2.62 CA$3.71

-57.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.54 CA$2.17

-64.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$11.29 CA$15.96

-62.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$12.62 CA$17.84

44.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$2.45 CA$3.46

-28.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$3.14 CA$4.44

-11.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$2.25 CA$3.18

-1.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$49.74 CA$70.3

-55.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$3.22 CA$4.56

-9.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.33 CA$1.88

-24.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$27.09 CA$38.30

-85.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.00 CA$1.42

49.00%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$27.7K CA$39.2K

-3.73%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$18.5K CA$26.2K

44.06%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$163 CA$231

-39.07%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$38.36 CA$54.2

-70.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$50.9 CA$71.9

-65.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$53.1 CA$75.1

-1.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$35.70 CA$50.5

-69.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$13.95 CA$19.72

-45.73%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$782 CA$1,105

-28.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$15.6K CA$22.0K

-26.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$50.9 CA$72.0

23.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$26.16 CA$36.98

9.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$66.9 CA$94.6

43.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$65.9 CA$93.2

33.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$800 CA$1,131

-8.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$759 CA$1,073

-39.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$1,338 CA$1,891

56.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$1,226 CA$1,733

-0.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$1,314 CA$1,858

163.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,905 CA$2,693

30.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$2,951 CA$4,171

-83.29%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Medicine Hat: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Medicine Hat

$759 42% 64.9% $299

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Medicine Hat

$316 17.5% 18.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Medicine Hat

$252 14% 97.1% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Medicine Hat

$94 5.2% 23.8% $30

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Medicine Hat

$235 13% 93.9% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Medicine Hat

$81 4.5% 20.1% $14

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Medicine Hat

$69 3.8% 76.4% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $800 in Medicine Hat. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 498% higher in Medicine Hat, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $71.0 in Medicine Hat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $316 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🕒 Local time

19:27 7:27 PM

06:27 6:27 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

56,997

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Medicine Hat 12,990 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Medicine Hat

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 Medicine Hat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medicine Hat costs about 50% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $2,710 in Medicine Hat. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $1,806 in Medicine Hat. That's a gap of about 50%.

Public transport costs about 125% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Medicine Hat at $1,806. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medicine Hat it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,207 versus $1,806 in Medicine Hat. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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