Cost of Living Comparison Between Quebec City and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Quebec City and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,886 in Quebec City versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,916 in Quebec City versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,947 in Quebec City versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Quebec City is roughly 53% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quebec City is 38% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.07 CA$28.08

$4.41 ฿147

355.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 CA$93.7

$32.26 ฿1,077

107.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 CA$16.02

$8.93 ฿298

28.22%

Cappuccino

$3.80 CA$5.32

$2.90 ฿96.6

31.03%

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

$2.17 CA$3.04

$0.88 ฿29.38

146.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.10

$0.48 ฿16.06

212.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 CA$8.18

$2.35 ฿78.5

148.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 CA$8.10

$3.72 ฿124

55.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.04

$1.87 ฿62.3

16.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 CA$4.03

$1.47 ฿48.94

95.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.75

$1.55 ฿51.8

165.16%

Eggs

$3.18 CA$4.45

$2.10 ฿70.1

51.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.15 CA$12.80

$19.59 ฿654

-53.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.88 CA$15.22

$3.42 ฿114

218.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.48 CA$14.66

$11.38 ฿380

-7.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.35 CA$6.08

$2.98 ฿99.6

45.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CA$2.15

$1.68 ฿56.2

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.27

$2.21 ฿73.7

70.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.68

$2.16 ฿72.1

87.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 CA$4.19

$1.52 ฿50.9

96.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 CA$4.08

$1.34 ฿44.67

117.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 CA$3.97

$1.13 ฿37.67

151.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.05

$0.55 ฿18.24

165.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.16 CA$21.21

$4.26 ฿142

255.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 CA$16.41

$19.09 ฿637

-38.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 CA$4.43

$1.78 ฿59.4

78.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 CA$4.88

$2.78 ฿92.9

25.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 CA$4.11

$2.23 ฿74.4

31.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.3 CA$101

$22.74 ฿759

217.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 CA$4.09

$3.03 ฿101

-3.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.02 ฿34.15

42.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.17 CA$49.19

$3.89 ฿130

804.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 CA$1.82

$1.49 ฿49.77

-12.75%

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

$28.9K CA$40.4K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

8.58%

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

$21.7K CA$30.4K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-19.66%

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

$102 CA$142

$102 ฿3,420

-0.88%

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

$32.20 CA$45.05

$11.33 ฿378

184.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.88 CA$64.2

$17.40 ฿581

163.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.94 CA$51.7

$52.1 ฿1,738

-29.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.28 CA$21.38

$11.07 ฿370

38.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 CA$15.53

$7.69 ฿257

44.34%

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

$707 CA$990

$561 ฿18.7K

26.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,276 CA$13.0K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-19.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 CA$85.6

$63.0 ฿2,104

-2.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 CA$73.4

$29.52 ฿986

77.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 CA$128

$98.0 ฿3,272

-6.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$88.5 ฿2,954

24.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 CA$1,440

$738 ฿24.6K

39.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 CA$1,081

$482 ฿16.1K

60.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 CA$2,226

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-24.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 CA$1,800

$1,226 ฿40.9K

4.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,225 CA$7,309

$3,617 ฿120.7K

44.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,758 CA$3,859

$2,603 ฿86.9K

5.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,054 CA$4,272

$494 ฿16.5K

518.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.45

5.57

-20.11%

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

Last update for Quebec City: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,030 in Quebec City and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quebec City pays 519% 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: $67.0 in Quebec City vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 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

Quebec City vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 519% higher in Quebec City, 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: $1,030 in Quebec City versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $707 in Quebec City 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 28% higher in Quebec City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,886 in Quebec City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Quebec City. 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 Quebec City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Quebec City 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 53% less than in Quebec City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.