Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Picton Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Picton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,047 in Picton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,731 in Picton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,415 in Picton.

Living in Phuket is roughly 21% more expensive than in Picton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Picton 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$18.34 CA$25.44

-74.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$70.5 CA$97.8

-54.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$7.32 CA$10.15

18.58%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.60 CA$4.99

-19.44%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$2.17 CA$3.01

-61.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.70 CA$2.36

-71.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$5.64 CA$7.82

-56.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$5.87 CA$8.14

-36.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.72 CA$2.39

9.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$2.12 CA$2.94

-33.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.53 CA$3.50

-35.97%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.95 CA$4.09

-24.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.09 CA$13.99

96.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$12.21 CA$16.94

-71.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$15.82 CA$21.94

-28.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.80 CA$3.89

3.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.27 CA$1.76

35.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$3.76 CA$5.21

-39.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$4.22 CA$5.85

-49.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.85 CA$2.57

-20.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.48 CA$2.06

-4.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$2.36 CA$3.27

-53.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.25 CA$1.73

-52.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$14.30 CA$19.83

-69.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$14.55 CA$20.18

27.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.22 CA$3.08

-18.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.55 CA$3.54

16.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$2.14 CA$2.97

5.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$19.66 CA$27.26

19.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$3.03 CA$4.21

2.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.31 CA$1.81

-17.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$22.32 CA$30.96

-82.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.09 CA$1.51

31.19%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$27.2K CA$37.7K

2.33%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$21.2K CA$29.4K

27.27%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$128 CA$177

-17.88%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$29.09 CA$40.35

-60.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$48.34 CA$67.1

-63.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$43.58 CA$60.5

24.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$8.67 CA$12.02

-10.27%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$291 CA$404

97.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$24.9K CA$34.6K

-53.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$51.3 CA$71.2

24.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$35.98 CA$49.90

-19.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$88.6 CA$123

8.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$122 CA$169

-26.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$1,026 CA$1,422

-28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,696 CA$2,352

25.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$3,866 CA$5,362

-8.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$3,230 CA$4,480

-84.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.47

24.61%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Picton: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $1,026 in Picton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Picton pays 536% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $71.0 in Picton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $335 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Picton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Picton is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 536% lower in Picton. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $1,026 in Picton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $291 in Picton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,047 in Picton versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Picton but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Picton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Picton 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 Picton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.