Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and North Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,162 in North Bay, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 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
105

Cost of Living Index in North Bay
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North Bay Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

North Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,162

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in North Bay

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,162 in North Bay, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
North Bay $2,162

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,060 in North Bay, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
North Bay $3,060

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,957 in North Bay, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
North Bay $3,957

Phuket is about 41% cheaper than North Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while North Bay is 59% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$17.83 CA$24.91

-74.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$77.4 CA$108

-58.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.73 CA$14.99

-17.89%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.98 CA$5.57

-28.89%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.07 CA$2.90

-57.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.76 CA$2.45

-72.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$5.02 CA$7.02

-49.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.81 CA$9.51

-45.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.56 CA$3.57

-35.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$2.72 CA$3.81

-46.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.24 CA$3.12

-33.04%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.53 CA$4.93

-40.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$9.49 CA$13.27

100.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$11.32 CA$15.82

-70.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$12.37 CA$17.29

-11.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$3.67 CA$5.13

-20.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.22 CA$1.70

38.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.21 CA$4.49

-29.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.19 CA$5.86

-50.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.85 CA$2.58

-18.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.68 CA$2.34

-17.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$2.24 CA$3.13

-52.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.26 CA$1.76

-58.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$14.46 CA$20.20

-70.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$14.26 CA$19.92

31.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.23 CA$3.12

-18.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.46 CA$3.44

15.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$2.28 CA$3.18

-36.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$67.4 CA$94.1

-15.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.08 CA$4.31

-1.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.13 CA$1.58

-9.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$22.26 CA$31.11

-83.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.25 CA$1.75

17.60%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$26.8K CA$37.5K

-0.15%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$21.5K CA$30.0K

24.23%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$124 CA$173

-22.12%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$32.74 CA$45.75

-65.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$48.00 CA$67.1

-64.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$24.94 CA$34.85

169.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$13.09 CA$18.29

-42.70%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$753 CA$1,052

-36.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$23.8K CA$33.2K

-52.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$44.70 CA$62.5

39.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$18.18 CA$25.41

56.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$101 CA$141

-6.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$89.3 CA$125

-3.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,457 CA$2,036

-50.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,095 CA$1,530

-55.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,852 CA$2,587

4.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,475 CA$2,061

-3.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$3,108 CA$4,343

-83.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.45

25.17%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for North Bay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

North Bay

$1.1K 50.7% 123% $604

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

North Bay

$335 15.5% 25.9% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

North Bay

$204 9.5% 64.3% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

North Bay

$114 5.3% 6.5% $7.9

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

North Bay

$277 12.8% 127% $155

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

North Bay

$51 2.4% 37.8% $31

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

North Bay

$85 3.9% 20.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,457 in North Bay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in North Bay are about 6.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $77 in North Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $335 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇦 North Bay

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

17:15 5:15 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

51,553

💱 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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Between locations

Phuket North Bay 13,990 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
North Bay

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 North Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Bay costs about 69% 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 $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,243 in North Bay. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,457 in North Bay.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $753 in North Bay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in North Bay at $2,162. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in North Bay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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