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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,978 in Sault Ste. Marie.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,997 in Sault Ste. Marie.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $4,016 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 6% below, Sault Ste. Marie is 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$17.00 CA$23.74

-73.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$73.7 CA$103

-36.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$9.92 CA$13.85

-14.62%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.56 CA$4.97

-14.89%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.80 CA$2.52

-61.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.34 CA$1.87

-72.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$4.39 CA$6.12

-43.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.63 CA$7.86

-34.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.77 CA$3.87

-21.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.38 CA$3.32

-20.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$3.98 CA$5.56

-44.72%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.81 CA$3.92

-21.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.19 CA$12.84

117.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$10.56 CA$14.74

-65.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$11.63 CA$16.24

13.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.21 CA$4.49

0.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.15 CA$1.60

47.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.02 CA$4.21

-20.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.66 CA$5.11

-43.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.21 CA$3.08

-28.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.58 CA$2.21

-6.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.66 CA$3.71

-61.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.57 CA$2.19

-66.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$11.61 CA$16.22

-63.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$10.66 CA$14.89

76.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.95 CA$2.72

-9.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.46 CA$3.44

12.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$2.36 CA$3.30

-42.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$59.8 CA$83.5

-80.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.40 CA$4.75

-7.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.87 CA$2.61

-44.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$23.84 CA$33.29

-42.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.16 CA$1.62

15.52%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$24.7K CA$34.5K

12.05%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.0K CA$27.9K

69.42%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$170 CA$237

-27.18%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$42.55 CA$59.4

-68.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$70.7 CA$98.7

-73.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$33.54 CA$46.84

84.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$18.09 CA$25.26

-4.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$12.61 CA$17.62

-27.52%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$505 CA$706

39.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$5,139 CA$7,177

208.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$47.30 CA$66.1

25.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$36.67 CA$51.2

-4.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$61.7 CA$86.2

86.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$124 CA$173

-32.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$882 CA$1,232

-29.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$901 CA$1,258

-51.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,480 CA$2,067

39.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,511 CA$2,111

-0.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,848 CA$2,581

97.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$5,681 CA$7,934

-53.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$2,953 CA$4,124

-82.83%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $882 in Sault Ste. Marie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sault Ste. Marie pays 482% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $74.0 in Sault Ste. Marie for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $322 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, Sault Ste. Marie earns 482% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $882 in Sault Ste. Marie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $505 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 10% higher in Sault Ste. Marie. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,978 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.