Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tofino

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,360 in Tofino, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Tofino
Learn more

Tofino Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Tofino

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,360

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tofino

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,360 in Tofino.

Phuket $1,207
Tofino $2,360

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $4,067 in Tofino.

Phuket $2,037
Tofino $4,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $5,775 in Tofino.

Phuket $2,867
Tofino $5,775

Living in Phuket costs roughly 49% less than in Tofino, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Tofino is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿154

$19.03 CA$27.05

-75.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,091

$69.3 CA$98.4

-53.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿287

$10.89 CA$15.48

-21.49%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$4.41 CA$6.26

-38.32%

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

$0.94 ฿31.41

$2.23 CA$3.16

-57.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.48

$1.87 CA$2.66

-73.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿87.0

$5.72 CA$8.13

-54.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿129

$5.46 CA$7.76

-29.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$2.15 CA$3.06

-19.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿48.07

$2.92 CA$4.15

-51.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.3

$4.13 CA$5.87

-62.95%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.1

$4.16 CA$5.92

-47.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿643

$9.71 CA$13.80

97.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.20 CA$10.24

-54.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿374

$10.33 CA$14.68

7.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿99.0

$3.83 CA$5.45

-22.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.4

$1.42 CA$2.02

18.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿77.2

$3.90 CA$5.54

-41.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.6

$4.07 CA$5.78

-47.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.4

$3.39 CA$4.81

-54.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.78

$2.95 CA$4.20

-53.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.63

$3.17 CA$4.51

-64.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.33

$2.46 CA$3.50

-77.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿143

$14.45 CA$20.53

-70.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿611

$14.96 CA$21.26

21.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$3.83 CA$5.44

-54.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.8

$3.62 CA$5.14

-22.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.4

$2.21 CA$3.14

0.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿741

$61.5 CA$87.5

-64.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.8

$2.77 CA$3.93

5.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.97

$1.52 CA$2.17

-33.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿129

$34.11 CA$48.47

-88.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.1

$1.36 CA$1.93

9.56%

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

$26.7K ฿896.2K

$27.6K CA$39.2K

-3.31%

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

$26.7K ฿897.2K

$18.1K CA$25.7K

47.88%

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

$99.4 ฿3,338

$99.1 CA$141

0.29%

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

$11.28 ฿379

$43.98 CA$62.5

-74.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿583

$60.9 CA$86.6

-71.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,756

$40.69 CA$57.8

28.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿364

$19.60 CA$27.86

-44.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿254

$10.43 CA$14.82

-27.42%

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

$558 ฿18.8K

$907 CA$1,288

-38.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿385.9K

$22.9K CA$32.5K

-49.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,112

$52.1 CA$74.1

20.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿960

$44.32 CA$63.0

-35.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,229

$91.1 CA$129

5.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,958

$108 CA$153

-18.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.5K

$1,265 CA$1,798

-42.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.5K

$1,228 CA$1,746

-62.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.4K

$3,366 CA$4,784

-37.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿41.1K

$3,184 CA$4,525

-61.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿116.2K

$3,651 CA$5,189

-5.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.6K

$3,550 CA$5,046

-29.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.6K

$1,254 CA$1,782

-60.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.31

29.23%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tofino: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Tofino

$1.2K 52.1% 167% $768

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Tofino

$358 15.2% 33.9% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Tofino

$204 8.7% 59.4% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Tofino

$133 5.6% 7.2% $8.9

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Tofino

$294 12.5% 142% $172

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Tofino

$62 2.6% 8.7% $5.9

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Tofino

$81 3.4% 108% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $1,265 in Tofino. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tofino pays 154% 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 $69.0 in Tofino for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $358 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇦 Tofino

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

21:22 9:22 PM

14 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

2,200

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Tofino 12,350 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Tofino

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 Tofino: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 154% lower in Tofino. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $1,265 in Tofino. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $907 in Tofino. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Tofino. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,360 in Tofino, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tofino. 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 Tofino, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tofino 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 95% less than in Tofino. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.