Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Oshawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,370 in Oshawa, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Oshawa, Canada
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Oshawa
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,370
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Oshawa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,370 in Oshawa.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Oshawa $2,370

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $3,414 in Oshawa.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Oshawa $3,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $4,457 in Oshawa.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Oshawa $4,457

Living in Phuket costs roughly 45% less than in Oshawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Oshawa is 75% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Oshawa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿147
$14.25 CA$19.90
-69.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,078
$63.6 CA$88.7
-49.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿290
$8.33 CA$11.63
4.44%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿90.9
$3.54 CA$4.95
-23.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.06
$1.77 CA$2.47
-47.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.67
$1.36 CA$1.90
-63.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿84.5
$4.86 CA$6.79
-47.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿121
$6.04 CA$8.43
-39.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Oshawa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$2.91 CA$4.06
-40.21%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.42
$2.91 CA$4.06
-50.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.1
$4.12 CA$5.75
-63.59%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.5
$2.97 CA$4.14
-26.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿637
$10.14 CA$14.15
88.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿113
$13.74 CA$19.19
-75.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿364
$16.60 CA$23.17
-34.34%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿98.2
$4.20 CA$5.87
-30.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.5
$1.22 CA$1.70
38.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.2
$2.94 CA$4.10
-25.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿70.9
$3.84 CA$5.36
-44.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿48.68
$3.36 CA$4.69
-56.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿45.66
$2.57 CA$3.59
-46.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿35.91
$2.35 CA$3.28
-54.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.21
$1.73 CA$2.41
-68.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿148
$14.29 CA$19.95
-69.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿609
$12.63 CA$17.63
44.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.2
$3.53 CA$4.92
-49.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿96.2
$3.49 CA$4.87
-17.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Oshawa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.32
$2.82 CA$3.94
-48.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,832
$87.1 CA$122
-37.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿50.5
$2.74 CA$3.82
-44.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿25.90
$1.44 CA$2.00
-45.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿128
$19.58 CA$27.33
-80.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.65
$1.24 CA$1.74
20.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿897.3K
$28.8K CA$40.2K
-6.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.4K
$22.9K CA$32.0K
14.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Oshawa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,265
$139 CA$194
-29.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿377
$37.94 CA$53.0
-70.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿574
$54.3 CA$75.9
-68.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Oshawa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,281
$22.91 CA$31.98
198.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿365
$29.28 CA$40.87
-62.70%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿248
$10.86 CA$15.17
-31.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Oshawa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.7K
$922 CA$1,287
-42.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿626.9K
$8,083 CA$11.3K
132.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Oshawa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,059
$58.3 CA$81.4
5.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿943
$57.7 CA$80.5
-51.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,204
$107 CA$150
-10.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,898
$129 CA$180
-32.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Oshawa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.1K
$1,400 CA$1,954
-48.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.0K
$1,207 CA$1,685
-57.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.1K
$2,003 CA$2,795
-2.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿46.6K
$1,824 CA$2,546
-23.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿139.9K
$5,158 CA$7,200
-18.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿110.1K
$10.3K CA$14.4K
-68.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Oshawa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.4K
$3,049 CA$4,256
-83.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.53
22.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Oshawa: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Oshawa
$1.2K 137% $698
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Oshawa
$390 46.1% $123
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Oshawa
$231 83.1% $105
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Oshawa
$158 29.1% $36
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Oshawa
$230 92.8% $111
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Oshawa
$45 46.3% $39
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Oshawa
$108 63.9% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,400 in Oshawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oshawa 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 $64 in Oshawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $390 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇨🇦 Oshawa
🕒 Local time
02:23 2:23 AM
14:23 2:23 PM
12 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
159,458
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Oshawa 14,250 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Oshawa

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 Oshawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Oshawa?
Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Oshawa. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Phuket or in Oshawa?
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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket compared to Oshawa?
Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $1,400 in Oshawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Phuket and in Oshawa?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $64 in Oshawa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to Oshawa?
All in, you’ll spend $1,294 per month in Phuket versus $2,370 in Oshawa – Phuket is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or in Oshawa?
At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,370 in Oshawa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Oshawa. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Phuket or Oshawa?
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 more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Oshawa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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