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: $2,718 in Pickering, ON versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,791 in Pickering, ON versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,863 in Pickering, ON versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Pickering, ON is roughly 115% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pickering, ON is 104% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.18 CA$25.48

$4.48 ฿150

305.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.0 CA$101

$45.59 ฿1,521

58.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 CA$15.68

$8.76 ฿292

27.74%

Cappuccino

$2.27 CA$3.18

$2.97 ฿99.0

-23.57%

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

$1.69 CA$2.37

$0.69 ฿22.90

144.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 CA$2.00

$0.39 ฿13.04

266.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.77 CA$6.68

$2.53 ฿84.4

88.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 CA$7.13

$3.75 ฿125

35.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.01

$2.15 ฿71.6

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 CA$3.06

$1.82 ฿60.6

19.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CA$6.27

$2.18 ฿72.9

105.50%

Eggs

$3.21 CA$4.50

$2.25 ฿75.0

42.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.87 CA$15.23

$20.00 ฿667

-45.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.08 CA$22.54

$3.63 ฿121

342.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.56 CA$20.41

$13.56 ฿452

7.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 CA$5.85

$3.24 ฿108

28.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 CA$1.42

$1.64 ฿54.6

-37.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CA$5.94

$2.33 ฿77.8

81.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 CA$7.12

$2.07 ฿69.1

145.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 CA$4.08

$1.55 ฿51.6

87.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.43 CA$4.80

$1.46 ฿48.54

134.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 CA$3.81

$0.98 ฿32.86

177.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 CA$1.58

$0.48 ฿16.09

135.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.66 CA$12.14

$4.35 ฿145

99.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.61 CA$17.67

$18.57 ฿620

-32.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 CA$3.80

$1.86 ฿61.9

45.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CA$4.25

$2.65 ฿88.6

14.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 CA$4.01

$1.42 ฿47.28

101.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 CA$87.3

$11.57 ฿386

438.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 CA$4.15

$3.17 ฿106

-6.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 CA$1.76

$1.03 ฿34.41

21.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.42 CA$31.42

$13.89 ฿463

61.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.58

$1.34 ฿44.84

-15.67%

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

$24.6K CA$34.5K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-11.46%

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

$21.9K CA$30.7K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-34.44%

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

$166 CA$232

$123 ฿4,105

34.67%

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

$35.80 CA$50.2

$13.77 ฿459

159.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 CA$93.2

$18.33 ฿611

262.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.5 CA$87.6

$60.7 ฿2,025

3.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$11.90 CA$16.67

$8.87 ฿296

34.16%

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

$750 CA$1,050

$688 ฿22.9K

8.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.4K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-26.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.2 CA$107

$59.3 ฿1,978

28.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 CA$76.3

$34.69 ฿1,157

57.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 CA$105

$115 ฿3,843

-34.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 CA$124

$83.8 ฿2,794

5.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,650 CA$2,313

$621 ฿20.7K

165.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 CA$2,171

$446 ฿14.9K

247.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,261 CA$3,168

$2,034 ฿67.8K

11.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$2,984

$1,496 ฿49.9K

42.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,226 CA$5,922

$3,455 ฿115.3K

22.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 CA$5,531

$2,531 ฿84.4K

55.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,016 CA$4,226

$494 ฿16.5K

511.02%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,650 in Pickering, ON and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pickering, ON pays 511% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $291 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, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 115% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 511% higher in Pickering, ON, 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: $1,650 in Pickering, ON versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $750 in Pickering, ON versus $688 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 $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,718 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 115% less than in Pickering, ON. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.