Cost of Living Comparison Between Pickering, ON and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Pickering, ON and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,803 in Pickering, ON versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,807 in Pickering, ON versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,812 in Pickering, ON versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Pickering, ON is roughly 128% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pickering, ON is 109% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.54 CA$25.39

$4.63 ฿151

300.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.5 CA$98.0

$46.84 ฿1,532

52.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 CA$15.00

$8.84 ฿289

23.87%

Cappuccino

$2.38 CA$3.26

$3.00 ฿98.0

-20.67%

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

$1.63 CA$2.23

$0.74 ฿24.25

120.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 CA$1.98

$0.37 ฿11.95

291.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.89 CA$6.71

$2.44 ฿79.8

100.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 CA$6.67

$3.61 ฿118

34.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$2.97

$2.26 ฿73.9

-3.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 CA$3.04

$1.84 ฿60.1

20.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.15

$2.24 ฿73.4

100.45%

Eggs

$3.37 CA$4.61

$2.32 ฿75.7

45.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.19

$19.67 ฿643

-43.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.66 CA$21.45

$3.65 ฿119

329.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 CA$20.51

$13.10 ฿428

14.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.48

$3.39 ฿111

17.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 CA$1.38

$1.64 ฿53.7

-38.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 CA$5.74

$2.41 ฿79.0

73.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 CA$6.80

$2.03 ฿66.4

144.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 CA$4.00

$1.56 ฿50.9

87.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.82

$1.50 ฿48.94

134.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 CA$3.64

$1.02 ฿33.50

160.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 CA$1.54

$0.49 ฿16.00

128.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.66 CA$11.86

$4.45 ฿145

94.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.19 CA$18.07

$18.88 ฿617

-30.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.53

$1.78 ฿58.1

44.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CA$4.16

$2.75 ฿90.1

10.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 CA$3.88

$1.40 ฿45.81

102.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 CA$86.8

$11.48 ฿376

452.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 CA$3.91

$3.12 ฿102

-8.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.67

$1.00 ฿32.67

22.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.82 CA$31.26

$14.09 ฿461

61.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 CA$1.48

$1.35 ฿44.19

-20.00%

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

$24.5K CA$33.6K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-9.75%

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

$22.5K CA$30.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-31.72%

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

$167 CA$229

$125 ฿4,087

33.64%

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

$36.22 CA$49.62

$13.57 ฿444

166.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 CA$91.3

$18.52 ฿606

259.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.5 CA$87.0

$61.5 ฿2,010

3.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$11.61 CA$15.91

$9.19 ฿300

26.33%

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

$758 CA$1,039

$698 ฿22.8K

8.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K CA$16.3K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-23.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.9 CA$105

$57.8 ฿1,889

33.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 CA$74.4

$35.24 ฿1,152

54.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 CA$102

$113 ฿3,699

-34.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 CA$117

$86.4 ฿2,825

-0.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,687 CA$2,311

$616 ฿20.1K

173.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 CA$2,173

$446 ฿14.6K

255.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,193 CA$3,005

$2,048 ฿67.0K

7.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,118 CA$2,902

$1,492 ฿48.8K

41.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,682 CA$9,154

$3,779 ฿123.6K

76.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,273 CA$7,224

$2,649 ฿86.6K

99.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,064 CA$4,198

$524 ฿17.1K

484.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

5.33

23.26%

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

Last update for Pickering, ON: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,687 in Pickering, ON and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pickering, ON pays 485% 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: $72.0 in Pickering, ON vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $292 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

Pickering, ON vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 128% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Pickering, ON pays 485% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,687 in Pickering, ON versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $758 in Pickering, ON versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Pickering, ON. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,803 in Pickering, ON, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Pickering, ON. 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 Pickering, ON, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Pickering, ON and Phuket 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 128% less than in Pickering, ON. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.