Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pickering, ON and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,590 in Pickering, ON, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Pickering, ON
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Pickering, ON Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Pickering, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,590

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pickering, ON and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pickering, ON and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,590 in Pickering, ON versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Pickering, ON $2,590
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,662 in Pickering, ON versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Pickering, ON $3,662
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,733 in Pickering, ON versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Pickering, ON $4,733
Phuket $3,154

Living in Pickering, ON is roughly 103% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pickering, ON is 90% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.17 CA$19.80

$4.47 ฿151

217.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 CA$80.9

$32.41 ฿1,093

78.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 CA$15.09

$8.81 ฿297

22.59%

Cappuccino

$1.97 CA$2.75

$2.83 ฿95.4

-30.39%

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

$1.69 CA$2.37

$0.87 ฿29.41

94.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$0.49 ฿16.65

222.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.72 CA$6.60

$2.56 ฿86.3

84.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 CA$6.38

$3.68 ฿124

23.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$2.99

$1.66 ฿55.9

28.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$1.46 ฿49.31

51.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.40 CA$6.15

$1.50 ฿50.5

193.33%

Eggs

$3.65 CA$5.10

$2.09 ฿70.5

74.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 CA$13.71

$19.07 ฿643

-48.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 CA$15.90

$3.30 ฿111

244.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 CA$19.77

$10.91 ฿368

29.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 CA$4.36

$2.93 ฿98.9

6.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 CA$0.82

$1.69 ฿57.0

-65.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.56

$2.25 ฿75.8

12.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 CA$2.90

$2.08 ฿70.0

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$1.51 ฿51.0

45.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.80

$1.38 ฿46.52

97.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 CA$3.85

$1.07 ฿35.96

157.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.76

$0.52 ฿17.51

142.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.49 CA$18.85

$4.20 ฿142

221.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 CA$18.13

$18.79 ฿634

-30.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.45

$1.82 ฿61.5

-3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CA$3.33

$2.84 ฿95.8

-15.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.84

$1.45 ฿48.98

88.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$161 CA$226

$56.7 ฿1,912

184.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 CA$4.04

$3.02 ฿102

-4.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 CA$3.15

$1.02 ฿34.33

120.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.27 CA$31.12

$3.69 ฿125

503.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.55

$1.47 ฿49.76

-24.49%

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

$25.0K CA$34.9K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-6.80%

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

$22.2K CA$31.1K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-16.74%

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

$107 CA$149

$96.4 ฿3,251

10.74%

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

$34.45 CA$48.13

$11.26 ฿380

205.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.19 CA$67.3

$16.85 ฿568

185.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.9 CA$83.6

$67.2 ฿2,268

-10.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.56 CA$37.11

$10.73 ฿362

147.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.66

$7.50 ฿253

49.47%

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

$503 CA$703

$476 ฿16.1K

5.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K CA$39.7K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

152.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.4 CA$104

$62.4 ฿2,104

19.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 CA$75.5

$28.41 ฿958

90.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.6 CA$115

$94.3 ฿3,181

-12.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 CA$108

$85.8 ฿2,895

-9.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 CA$2,316

$716 ฿24.2K

131.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 CA$2,047

$491 ฿16.6K

198.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,504 CA$3,499

$1,927 ฿65.0K

29.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 CA$3,066

$1,431 ฿48.3K

53.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,334 CA$6,056

$4,175 ฿140.9K

3.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,903 CA$5,454

$3,045 ฿102.7K

28.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,072 CA$4,293

$502 ฿16.9K

511.64%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pickering, ON

$1.5K 56.6%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 66.5% $974

Groceries & Markets

Pickering, ON

$322 12.4%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 17.3% $56

Eating Out

Pickering, ON

$215 8.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 43.5% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pickering, ON

$189 7.3%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 34.3% $65

Getting Around

Pickering, ON

$187 7.2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 62.2% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Pickering, ON

$130 5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 6% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Pickering, ON

$82 3.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 0% $0

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,658 in Pickering, ON and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pickering, ON pays about 6.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $58 in Pickering, ON vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Pickering, ON

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

09:23 9:23 AM

12 h ahead of Pickering, ON

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,771

79,308

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pickering, ON Phuket 14,260 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Pickering, ON
Phuket

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

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

Phuket is about 51% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Pickering, ON is about 6.1 times higher, 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: $1,658 in Pickering, ON versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $503 in Pickering, ON versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Pickering, ON. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,590 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Pickering, ON and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Pickering, ON. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.