Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sault Ste. Marie Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sault Ste. Marie

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,980 in Sault Ste. Marie.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,992 in Sault Ste. Marie.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $4,004 in Sault Ste. Marie.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 36% less than in Sault Ste. Marie, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Sault Ste. Marie is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$16.99 CA$23.81

-73.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$73.6 CA$103

-38.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$9.97 CA$13.98

-12.14%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.62 CA$5.08

-17.96%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.76 CA$2.47

-60.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.30 CA$1.82

-70.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$4.45 CA$6.24

-43.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$5.51 CA$7.72

-31.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$2.65 CA$3.71

-18.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.38 CA$3.33

-23.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.89 CA$5.46

-43.96%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.81 CA$3.94

-19.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.76 CA$12.28

128.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$10.29 CA$14.42

-64.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$11.51 CA$16.13

17.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.04 CA$4.26

6.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.15 CA$1.62

42.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$3.05 CA$4.27

-23.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$3.53 CA$4.95

-41.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.29 CA$3.21

-32.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.59 CA$2.23

-8.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$2.63 CA$3.68

-62.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.59 CA$2.22

-69.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$11.72 CA$16.42

-62.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$10.56 CA$14.80

75.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.96 CA$2.75

-5.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.45 CA$3.44

8.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$2.33 CA$3.27

-39.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$60.0 CA$84.1

-80.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.41 CA$4.78

-7.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.87 CA$2.62

-44.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$24.10 CA$33.78

-42.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.16 CA$1.62

15.52%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$25.1K CA$35.2K

10.75%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.1K CA$28.1K

66.45%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$166 CA$232

-25.65%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$41.65 CA$58.4

-66.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$71.0 CA$99.5

-74.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$33.07 CA$46.33

83.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$18.35 CA$25.72

-6.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$12.63 CA$17.70

-29.77%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$515 CA$722

33.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$5,193 CA$7,277

203.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$46.69 CA$65.4

27.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$37.31 CA$52.3

-7.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$63.3 CA$88.7

82.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$125 CA$175

-32.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$903 CA$1,265

-31.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$915 CA$1,282

-51.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,512 CA$2,119

34.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$1,488 CA$2,085

0.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,836 CA$2,573

88.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$5,613 CA$7,865

-54.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$3,018 CA$4,228

-83.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $903 in Sault Ste. Marie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sault Ste. Marie pays 511% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $74.0 in Sault Ste. Marie for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $317 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 Sault Ste. Marie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 511% lower in Sault Ste. Marie. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $903 in Sault Ste. Marie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $515 in Sault Ste. Marie. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Sault Ste. Marie. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,980 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.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sault Ste. Marie 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 57% less than in Sault Ste. Marie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.