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: $2,593 in Pickering, ON versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,624 in Pickering, ON versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,655 in Pickering, ON versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Pickering, ON is roughly 111% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pickering, ON is 90% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.21 CA$19.88

$4.41 ฿147

222.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 CA$79.3

$32.26 ฿1,077

75.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 CA$14.90

$8.93 ฿298

19.26%

Cappuccino

$2.06 CA$2.89

$2.90 ฿96.6

-28.97%

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

$1.79 CA$2.51

$0.88 ฿29.38

103.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 CA$2.11

$0.48 ฿16.06

214.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.67 CA$6.53

$2.35 ฿78.5

98.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 CA$6.71

$3.72 ฿124

29.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.01

$1.87 ฿62.3

14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 CA$2.98

$1.47 ฿48.94

44.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 CA$6.41

$1.55 ฿51.8

195.48%

Eggs

$3.65 CA$5.11

$2.10 ฿70.1

73.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 CA$13.29

$19.59 ฿654

-51.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.15 CA$15.60

$3.42 ฿114

226.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 CA$19.52

$11.38 ฿380

22.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 CA$4.21

$2.98 ฿99.6

1.01%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 CA$0.78

$1.68 ฿56.2

-66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.47

$2.21 ฿73.7

12.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 CA$2.93

$2.16 ฿72.1

-3.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 CA$2.94

$1.52 ฿50.9

38.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$1.34 ฿44.67

94.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$1.13 ฿37.67

135.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CA$1.79

$0.55 ฿18.24

132.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.87 CA$19.40

$4.26 ฿142

225.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.00 CA$18.18

$19.09 ฿637

-31.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.48

$1.78 ฿59.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 CA$3.31

$2.78 ฿92.9

-14.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 CA$3.77

$2.23 ฿74.4

21.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$163 CA$229

$22.74 ฿759

618.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 CA$4.09

$3.03 ฿101

-3.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 CA$3.17

$1.02 ฿34.15

122.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.39 CA$31.32

$3.89 ฿130

475.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.49 ฿49.77

-21.48%

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

$25.4K CA$35.6K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

-4.28%

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

$20.9K CA$29.3K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-22.57%

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

$106 CA$148

$102 ฿3,420

3.28%

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

$31.91 CA$44.64

$11.33 ฿378

181.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 CA$74.1

$17.40 ฿581

204.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.8 CA$85.1

$52.1 ฿1,738

16.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.03 CA$37.81

$11.07 ฿370

144.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 CA$15.91

$7.69 ฿257

47.85%

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

$507 CA$709

$561 ฿18.7K

-9.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K CA$39.5K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

145.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 CA$105

$63.0 ฿2,104

18.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 CA$73.5

$29.52 ฿986

77.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 CA$115

$98.0 ฿3,272

-15.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 CA$109

$88.5 ฿2,954

-12.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 CA$2,287

$738 ฿24.6K

121.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 CA$2,127

$482 ฿16.1K

215.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 CA$3,534

$2,107 ฿70.3K

19.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,222 CA$3,108

$1,226 ฿40.9K

81.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,335 CA$6,064

$3,617 ฿120.7K

19.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,980 CA$5,567

$2,603 ฿86.9K

52.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,033 CA$4,244

$494 ฿16.5K

514.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.57

-24.24%

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

Last update for Pickering, ON: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,635 in Pickering, ON and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pickering, ON pays 515% 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: $57.0 in Pickering, ON vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $274 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, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 111% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 515% 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: $1,635 in Pickering, ON versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $507 in Pickering, ON versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Pickering, ON. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,593 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 111% less than in Pickering, ON. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.