Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saanich

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,592 in Saanich, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Saanich
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Saanich Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Saanich

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,592

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Saanich

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,592 in Saanich.

Phuket $1,278
Saanich $2,592

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,650 in Saanich.

Phuket $2,216
Saanich $3,650

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,707 in Saanich.

Phuket $3,154
Saanich $4,707

Living in Phuket costs roughly 51% less than in Saanich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Saanich is 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$17.77 CA$24.83

-74.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$71.0 CA$99.2

-54.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.26 CA$15.73

-21.76%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.25 CA$5.93

-33.41%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$2.34 CA$3.27

-62.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.73 CA$2.42

-71.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$5.58 CA$7.80

-54.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.59 CA$9.21

-44.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.93 CA$2.70

-13.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$3.04 CA$4.25

-51.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.12 CA$4.36

-51.92%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.08 CA$5.71

-48.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$11.36 CA$15.88

67.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$12.69 CA$17.74

-74.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$17.34 CA$24.24

-37.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$4.62 CA$6.46

-36.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.44 CA$2.02

17.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$4.23 CA$5.91

-46.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$5.78 CA$8.07

-64.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.45 CA$4.82

-56.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$2.89 CA$4.04

-52.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$3.26 CA$4.56

-67.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$2.22 CA$3.10

-76.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$14.46 CA$20.20

-70.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$15.63 CA$21.84

20.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.67 CA$3.73

-31.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$3.64 CA$5.09

-21.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$2.29 CA$3.20

-36.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$80.0 CA$112

-29.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.83 CA$3.95

6.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$1.57 CA$2.19

-35.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$28.10 CA$39.27

-86.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.39 CA$1.95

5.76%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$28.4K CA$39.7K

-5.81%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$21.0K CA$29.4K

26.86%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$119 CA$166

-18.98%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$41.27 CA$57.7

-72.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$66.2 CA$92.5

-74.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$69.6 CA$97.3

-3.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$11.22 CA$15.68

-33.16%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$877 CA$1,225

-45.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$13.3K CA$18.6K

-15.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$54.3 CA$75.8

14.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$35.53 CA$49.65

-20.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$90.4 CA$126

4.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$107 CA$150

-20.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,470 CA$2,054

-51.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,347 CA$1,882

-63.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,039 CA$2,849

-5.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,890 CA$2,642

-24.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$3,819 CA$5,337

-20.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$2,903 CA$4,057

-82.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.72

18.01%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Saanich: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Saanich

$1.3K 52% 174% $856

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Saanich

$413 16% 55.3% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Saanich

$226 8.7% 81.9% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Saanich

$129 5% 6.1% $7.5

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Saanich

$284 11% 134% $163

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Saanich

$92 3.6% 11.9% $9.8

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Saanich

$100 3.9% 41.4% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,470 in Saanich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saanich pays about 5.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $71 in Saanich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $413 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇦 Saanich

🕒 Local time

21:10 9:10 PM

07:10 7:10 AM

14 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

117,735

💱 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Saanich 12,540 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Saanich

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 Saanich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 51% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 83% 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 $1,470 in Saanich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $877 in Saanich. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Saanich. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,592 in Saanich, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saanich. 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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Saanich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.