Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vaughan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vaughan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Phuket versus $2,562 in Vaughan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $3,721 in Vaughan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $4,881 in Vaughan.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 51% less than in Vaughan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 7% below, Vaughan is 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$14.91 CA$20.43

-69.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$76.3 CA$105

-38.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$10.46 CA$14.33

-16.83%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$3.60 CA$4.94

-18.89%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$2.07 CA$2.84

-67.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$1.74 CA$2.38

-77.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$6.07 CA$8.32

-58.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$5.22 CA$7.15

-27.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$1.73 CA$2.37

24.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$2.22 CA$3.04

-15.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$3.67 CA$5.02

-41.14%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$3.27 CA$4.48

-32.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$8.90 CA$12.20

119.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$11.08 CA$15.18

-65.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$6.45 CA$8.83

107.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$2.92 CA$4.00

11.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$1.61 CA$2.20

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$2.83 CA$3.87

-18.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$3.54 CA$4.85

-41.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$1.97 CA$2.70

-18.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$2.03 CA$2.78

-29.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$1.81 CA$2.47

-43.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$1.70 CA$2.33

-71.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$13.28 CA$18.19

-66.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$11.83 CA$16.21

62.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$2.16 CA$2.96

-15.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$2.15 CA$2.94

25.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$2.82 CA$3.86

-51.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$109 CA$149

-89.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$3.08 CA$4.21

0.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$1.36 CA$1.87

-26.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$22.68 CA$31.07

-39.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$1.13 CA$1.55

15.04%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$25.0K CA$34.2K

9.45%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$19.9K CA$27.2K

66.12%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$132 CA$181

-5.67%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$33.96 CA$46.52

-59.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$50.5 CA$69.2

-63.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$33.25 CA$45.55

82.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$22.19 CA$30.40

-22.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$10.80 CA$14.80

-16.57%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$820 CA$1,123

-14.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$18.4K CA$25.2K

-12.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$44.30 CA$60.7

33.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$36.90 CA$50.6

-5.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$60.7 CA$83.1

88.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$102 CA$140

-16.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$1,755 CA$2,405

-64.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$1,539 CA$2,109

-71.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$3,048 CA$4,175

-31.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$2,564 CA$3,513

-41.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

$8,901 CA$12.2K

-57.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

$6,357 CA$8,709

-57.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

$3,027 CA$4,147

-82.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.73

-20.80%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Last update for Vaughan: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,755 in Vaughan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vaughan pays 473% 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 in Phuket vs $76 in Vaughan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $298 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 Vaughan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Vaughan earns 473% 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 $1,755 in Vaughan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $820 in Vaughan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Vaughan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $2,562 in Vaughan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vaughan. 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 Vaughan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Vaughan 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 106% less than in Vaughan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.