Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thunder Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,169 in Thunder Bay, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Thunder Bay
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Thunder Bay Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Thunder Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,169

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Thunder Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,169 in Thunder Bay.

Phuket $1,208
Thunder Bay $2,169

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $3,338 in Thunder Bay.

Phuket $2,027
Thunder Bay $3,338

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $4,508 in Thunder Bay.

Phuket $2,845
Thunder Bay $4,508

Living in Phuket costs roughly 44% less than in Thunder Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Thunder Bay is 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$17.63 CA$24.93

-75.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$60.2 CA$85.1

-46.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$12.62 CA$17.84

-30.59%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$3.40 CA$4.81

-16.76%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.86 CA$2.63

-51.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$1.59 CA$2.25

-70.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$5.43 CA$7.68

-53.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$5.03 CA$7.12

-23.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$2.27 CA$3.20

-23.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$2.55 CA$3.60

-42.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$3.29 CA$4.65

-54.10%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.59 CA$5.08

-39.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$16.69 CA$23.59

18.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$15.91 CA$22.50

-79.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$16.25 CA$22.98

-31.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$3.33 CA$4.71

-14.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.21 CA$1.71

40.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$3.92 CA$5.54

-44.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$3.48 CA$4.92

-41.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$2.50 CA$3.53

-42.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$2.16 CA$3.05

-36.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$2.91 CA$4.12

-63.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$2.38 CA$3.36

-78.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$10.69 CA$15.11

-60.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$8.67 CA$12.26

114.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.96 CA$2.77

-9.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.92 CA$4.14

-2.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$2.28 CA$3.22

-0.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$64.3 CA$90.9

-65.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$5.26 CA$7.44

-42.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$2.08 CA$2.94

-49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$35.48 CA$50.2

-89.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.16 CA$1.63

25.00%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$28.0K CA$39.6K

-5.91%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$21.0K CA$29.7K

28.39%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$159 CA$225

-39.51%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$57.9 CA$81.8

-80.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$79.3 CA$112

-78.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$29.52 CA$41.73

76.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$18.06 CA$25.54

-38.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$17.88 CA$25.27

-56.32%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$670 CA$947

-17.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$76.7 CA$108

-16.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$35.15 CA$49.69

-18.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$76.6 CA$108

24.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$130 CA$184

-32.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$1,053 CA$1,488

-29.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$908 CA$1,283

-49.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$1,898 CA$2,683

10.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$1,741 CA$2,461

-31.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$3,027 CA$4,279

-83.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.58

21.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Thunder Bay: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Thunder Bay

$908 41.9% 96.3% $445

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Thunder Bay

$396 18.3% 47.4% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Thunder Bay

$296 13.7% 138% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Thunder Bay

$143 6.6% 15.3% $19

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Thunder Bay

$271 12.5% 123% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Thunder Bay

$65 3% 3.7% $2.5

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Thunder Bay

$89 4.1% 126% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $1,053 in Thunder Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thunder Bay pays 504% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $60.0 in Thunder Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $396 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇦 Thunder Bay

🕒 Local time

17:43 5:43 PM

06:43 6:43 AM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

107,909

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Thunder Bay 13,710 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Thunder Bay

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 Thunder Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 504% lower in Thunder Bay. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $1,053 in Thunder Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $670 in Thunder Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Thunder Bay. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,169 in Thunder Bay, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Thunder Bay. 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 Thunder Bay, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Thunder Bay 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 79% less than in Thunder Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.