Cost of Living Comparison Between Prince Rupert, BC and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Prince Rupert, BC and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,051 in Prince Rupert, BC versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,197 in Prince Rupert, BC versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,343 in Prince Rupert, BC versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Prince Rupert, BC is roughly 62% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Prince Rupert, BC is 53% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 CA$23.85

$4.70 ฿153

264.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$98.8

$45.37 ฿1,482

56.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 CA$15.16

$8.43 ฿275

29.30%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.29

$2.93 ฿95.6

30.03%

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

$2.03 CA$2.82

$0.69 ฿22.40

194.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.28

$0.37 ฿11.99

343.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.49 CA$7.63

$2.41 ฿78.6

127.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 CA$8.06

$3.72 ฿122

55.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CA$3.05

$2.23 ฿72.9

-1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 CA$3.16

$1.83 ฿59.8

24.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.01

$2.17 ฿70.8

65.90%

Eggs

$5.29 CA$7.35

$2.21 ฿72.3

139.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 CA$15.46

$19.74 ฿645

-43.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 CA$16.23

$3.63 ฿119

221.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.48 CA$20.14

$13.53 ฿442

7.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.49

$3.28 ฿107

-45.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 CA$1.49

$1.61 ฿52.6

-33.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.08

$2.41 ฿78.6

51.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.36

$2.08 ฿68.1

85.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CA$3.50

$1.53 ฿49.93

64.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 CA$3.55

$1.48 ฿48.36

72.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CA$3.65

$0.99 ฿32.29

164.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.38

$0.51 ฿16.67

235.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.20 CA$19.75

$4.41 ฿144

222.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.57 CA$17.48

$19.38 ฿633

-35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.04

$1.78 ฿58.1

63.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CA$4.24

$2.71 ฿88.6

12.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 CA$3.28

$1.37 ฿44.79

72.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 CA$87.8

$11.39 ฿372

454.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.52

$3.02 ฿98.6

7.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.08

$0.99 ฿32.48

51.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.17 CA$36.39

$14.10 ฿461

85.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 CA$1.75

$1.36 ฿44.51

-7.35%

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

$25.1K CA$34.9K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-10.90%

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

$20.9K CA$29.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-36.45%

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

$141 CA$197

$122 ฿3,975

16.13%

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

$43.98 CA$61.2

$13.57 ฿443

224.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.7 CA$87.1

$18.31 ฿598

242.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.65 CA$57.9

$60.2 ฿1,967

-30.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 CA$15.66

$8.69 ฿284

29.57%

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

$749 CA$1,042

$693 ฿22.6K

8.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K CA$16.7K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-23.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 CA$76.7

$59.5 ฿1,944

-7.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.67 CA$55.2

$34.77 ฿1,136

14.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 CA$120

$115 ฿3,743

-24.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CA$150

$83.3 ฿2,720

29.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 CA$1,563

$613 ฿20.0K

83.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 CA$1,229

$437 ฿14.3K

102.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,052 CA$2,854

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-2.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 CA$2,519

$1,509 ฿49.3K

20.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,470 CA$6,216

$3,749 ฿122.5K

19.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,909 CA$5,436

$2,616 ฿85.4K

49.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,270 CA$4,548

$508 ฿16.6K

543.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

5.33

21.20%

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

Last update for Prince Rupert, BC: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,124 in Prince Rupert, BC and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Prince Rupert, BC pays 544% 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: $71.0 in Prince Rupert, BC vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $293 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

Prince Rupert, BC vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Prince Rupert, BC pays 544% 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: $1,124 in Prince Rupert, BC versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $749 in Prince Rupert, BC versus $693 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 Prince Rupert, BC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,051 in Prince Rupert, BC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Prince Rupert, BC. 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 Prince Rupert, BC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Prince Rupert, BC 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 62% less than in Prince Rupert, BC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.