Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Milton

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,718 in Milton, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Milton
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Milton Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Milton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Milton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,718 in Milton.

Phuket $1,278
Milton $2,718

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,861 in Milton.

Phuket $2,216
Milton $3,861

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $5,004 in Milton.

Phuket $3,154
Milton $5,004

Living in Phuket costs roughly 53% less than in Milton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Milton is 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$14.04 CA$19.61

-68.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$71.0 CA$99.2

-54.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.73 CA$12.20

0.92%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.72 CA$5.19

-23.92%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$2.95 CA$4.12

-70.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$2.36 CA$3.30

-79.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$4.95 CA$6.91

-48.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.08 CA$8.50

-39.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.02 CA$2.82

-17.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$2.27 CA$3.16

-35.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.56 CA$3.58

-41.41%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.20 CA$4.47

-34.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$9.04 CA$12.63

110.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$22.57 CA$31.53

-85.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$22.80 CA$31.85

-52.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$4.96 CA$6.93

-40.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.09 CA$1.53

55.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.87 CA$4.01

-21.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$4.02 CA$5.61

-48.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.43 CA$3.39

-37.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$2.22 CA$3.10

-37.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$2.19 CA$3.06

-51.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.93 CA$2.69

-73.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$11.43 CA$15.98

-63.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$13.37 CA$18.67

40.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.09 CA$2.91

-12.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.64 CA$3.69

7.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$2.77 CA$3.86

-47.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$56.5 CA$79.0

0.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.29 CA$4.59

-8.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.56 CA$2.18

-34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$28.41 CA$39.69

-87.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.08 CA$1.51

36.11%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$23.8K CA$33.2K

12.64%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$18.8K CA$26.3K

41.64%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$230 CA$321

-58.11%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$55.1 CA$77.0

-79.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$53.4 CA$74.6

-68.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$42.90 CA$59.9

56.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$20.76 CA$29.00

-48.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$14.47 CA$20.22

-48.17%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$401 CA$560

18.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$10.8K CA$15.1K

4.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$69.6 CA$97.2

-10.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$46.46 CA$64.9

-38.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$91.1 CA$127

3.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$145 CA$202

-40.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,529 CA$2,136

-53.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,406 CA$1,965

-65.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,549 CA$3,561

-24.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,110 CA$2,947

-32.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$4,836 CA$6,757

-13.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$4,132 CA$5,772

-26.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$3,138 CA$4,384

-83.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.69

-2.11%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Milton: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Milton

$1.4K 51.7% 187% $915

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Milton

$423 15.6% 58.9% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Milton

$338 12.5% 172% $214

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Milton

$158 5.8% 29.9% $36

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Milton

$241 8.9% 98.2% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Milton

$72 2.6% 12.6% $10

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Milton

$79 2.9% 11.5% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,529 in Milton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milton 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 $71 in Milton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $423 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇦 Milton

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

06:08 6:08 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

110,128

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 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).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Milton 14,300 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Milton

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 Milton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $2,718 in Milton, so Phuket is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

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 $1,529 in Milton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Milton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $2,718 in Milton – Phuket is about 53% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,718 in Milton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Milton. 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Milton are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Milton on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.