Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sault Ste. Marie

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,051 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Sault Ste. Marie
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Sault Ste. Marie Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Sault Ste. Marie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,051

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sault Ste. Marie

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 Sault Ste. Marie actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,051 in Sault Ste. Marie.

Phuket $1,278
Sault Ste. Marie $2,051

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,970 in Sault Ste. Marie.

Phuket $2,216
Sault Ste. Marie $2,970

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,890 in Sault Ste. Marie.

Phuket $3,154
Sault Ste. Marie $3,890

Living in Phuket costs roughly 38% less than in Sault Ste. Marie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Sault Ste. Marie is 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$17.15 CA$23.98

-73.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$71.3 CA$99.6

-54.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.12 CA$14.15

-12.94%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.50 CA$4.89

-19.14%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$1.63 CA$2.28

-46.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.37 CA$1.92

-64.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$4.76 CA$6.65

-46.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.11 CA$7.15

-27.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.49 CA$3.48

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$2.04 CA$2.85

-28.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.25 CA$4.54

-53.85%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.90 CA$4.06

-27.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.60 CA$12.01

121.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$9.74 CA$13.62

-66.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.42 CA$14.56

4.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$3.08 CA$4.31

-4.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.01 CA$1.41

67.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$3.04 CA$4.25

-25.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$3.38 CA$4.72

-38.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.98 CA$2.77

-23.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$1.71 CA$2.39

-19.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$2.79 CA$3.91

-61.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$1.25 CA$1.75

-58.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$15.68 CA$21.92

-73.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.57 CA$14.77

77.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.85 CA$2.59

-1.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.37 CA$3.31

19.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$2.52 CA$3.52

-42.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$57.4 CA$80.3

-1.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.48 CA$4.87

-13.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$2.40 CA$3.35

-57.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$23.76 CA$33.21

-84.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.14 CA$1.59

28.95%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$26.6K CA$37.1K

0.84%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$20.0K CA$28.0K

33.43%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$177 CA$247

-45.49%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$44.21 CA$61.8

-74.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$79.2 CA$111

-78.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$30.85 CA$43.11

117.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$17.68 CA$24.72

-39.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$11.37 CA$15.90

-34.04%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$4,943 CA$6,908

127.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$45.82 CA$64.0

36.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$35.41 CA$49.49

-19.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$74.3 CA$104

26.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$117 CA$164

-26.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,055 CA$1,474

-32.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$939 CA$1,312

-47.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,574 CA$2,200

22.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,423 CA$1,989

0.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$3,358 CA$4,693

24.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$3,434 CA$4,799

-11.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$3,022 CA$4,224

-83.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.53

0.72%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Sault Ste. Marie

$939 45.8% 91.3% $448

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Sault Ste. Marie

$297 14.5% 11.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Sault Ste. Marie

$300 14.6% 141% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sault Ste. Marie

$123 6% 0.6% $0.8

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sault Ste. Marie

$256 12.5% 110% $134

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Sault Ste. Marie

$54 2.6% 34.8% $29

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Sault Ste. Marie

$83 4.1% 17.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,055 in Sault Ste. Marie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sault Ste. Marie pays about 6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $71 in Sault Ste. Marie for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $297 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇦 Sault Ste. Marie

🕒 Local time

04:40 4:40 AM

16:40 4:40 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

73,368

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Sault Ste. Marie 13,960 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sault Ste. Marie

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 Sault Ste. Marie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. 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 $1,055 in Sault Ste. Marie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Sault Ste. Marie. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $71 in Sault Ste. Marie. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,051 in Sault Ste. Marie, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sault Ste. Marie. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Sault Ste. Marie on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.