Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ontario, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,867 in Ontario, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Ontario, CA
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Ontario, CA Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Ontario, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,867

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ontario, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,867 in Ontario, CA.

Phuket $1,207
Ontario, CA $2,867

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $2,937 in Ontario, CA.

Phuket $2,037
Ontario, CA $2,937

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $3,007 in Ontario, CA.

Phuket $2,867
Ontario, CA $3,007

Living in Phuket costs roughly 58% less than in Ontario, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Ontario, CA is 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$19.91 $19.91

-77.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$78.2 $78.2

-58.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$15.13 $15.13

-43.49%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$5.64 $5.64

-51.77%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$3.09 $3.09

-69.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$2.31 $2.31

-78.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$7.26 $7.26

-64.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$9.37 $9.37

-59.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.04 $1.04

67.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$4.00 $4.00

-64.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$4.79 $4.79

-68.06%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$4.57 $4.57

-52.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$12.97 $12.97

47.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$8.85 $8.85

-62.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$15.66 $15.66

-28.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$4.62 $4.62

-36.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.70 $1.70

-1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$3.97 $3.97

-42.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$5.54 $5.54

-61.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$3.59 $3.59

-57.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$2.31 $2.31

-41.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.98 $1.98

-43.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.92 $1.92

-71.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$11.56 $11.56

-63.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$14.76 $14.76

23.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.94 $1.94

-10.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$4.13 $4.13

-32.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$1.54 $1.54

44.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$29.84 $29.84

-26.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$6.08 $6.08

-52.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.53 $1.53

-2.61%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$37.1K $37.1K

-28.02%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$26.9K $26.9K

-0.74%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$222 $222

-55.16%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$68.7 $68.7

-83.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$61.8 $61.8

-71.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$64.0 $64.0

-18.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$28.79 $28.79

-62.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$17.89 $17.89

-57.69%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$1,164 $1,164

-52.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$58.3 $58.3

7.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$40.76 $40.76

-29.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$91.3 $91.3

5.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$104 $104

-15.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$1,900 $1,900

-61.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$1,503 $1,503

-69.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$2,646 $2,646

-20.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$3,989 $3,989

-13.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$3,666 $3,666

-32.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$3,613 $3,613

-86.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.39

-12.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ontario, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Ontario, CA

$1.5K 52.4% 227% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Ontario, CA

$389 13.6% 45.3% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Ontario, CA

$352 12.3% 175% $224

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Ontario, CA

$133 4.6% 6.9% $8.5

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Ontario, CA

$349 12.2% 188% $228

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Ontario, CA

$100 3.5% 48% $32

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Ontario, CA

$42 * 1.5% 8.2% $3.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $1,900 in Ontario, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ontario, CA pays 633% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $78.0 in Ontario, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $389 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Ontario, CA

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

13:10 1:10 PM

14 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

185,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Ontario, CA 14,000 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ontario, CA

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 Ontario, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 633% lower in Ontario, CA. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $1,900 in Ontario, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $1,164 in Ontario, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Ontario, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,867 in Ontario, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ontario, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ontario, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ontario, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Ontario, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.