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: $1,960 in Quebec City versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,898 in Quebec City versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,837 in Quebec City versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Quebec City is roughly 55% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quebec City is 46% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.70 CA$23.12

$4.70 ฿153

255.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.4 CA$90.5

$45.37 ฿1,482

44.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 CA$15.44

$8.43 ฿275

32.27%

Cappuccino

$3.79 CA$5.25

$2.93 ฿95.6

29.35%

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

$2.04 CA$2.83

$0.69 ฿22.40

195.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$0.37 ฿11.99

294.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 CA$8.22

$2.41 ฿78.6

146.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 CA$8.70

$3.72 ฿122

68.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CA$2.92

$2.23 ฿72.9

-5.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 CA$4.58

$1.83 ฿59.8

80.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 CA$5.91

$2.17 ฿70.8

96.77%

Eggs

$3.11 CA$4.30

$2.21 ฿72.3

40.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.79 CA$17.71

$19.74 ฿645

-35.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.80 CA$14.96

$3.63 ฿119

197.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 CA$19.59

$13.53 ฿442

4.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.51

$3.28 ฿107

21.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 CA$2.32

$1.61 ฿52.6

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.84

$2.41 ฿78.6

75.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.68

$2.08 ฿68.1

97.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.61

$1.53 ฿49.93

23.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 CA$3.48

$1.48 ฿48.36

69.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 CA$3.66

$0.99 ฿32.29

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.19

$0.51 ฿16.67

209.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 CA$17.81

$4.41 ฿144

191.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.59 CA$16.05

$19.38 ฿633

-40.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 CA$4.34

$1.78 ฿58.1

75.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 CA$5.42

$2.71 ฿88.6

44.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.90

$1.37 ฿44.79

105.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 CA$95.5

$11.39 ฿372

505.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.78 CA$5.24

$3.02 ฿98.6

25.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 CA$3.13

$0.99 ฿32.48

128.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.35 CA$43.41

$14.10 ฿461

122.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.72

$1.36 ฿44.51

-8.82%

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

$24.9K CA$34.5K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-11.70%

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

$19.7K CA$27.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-40.08%

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

$86.9 CA$120

$122 ฿3,975

-28.63%

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

$38.53 CA$53.4

$13.57 ฿443

183.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.57 CA$61.7

$18.31 ฿598

143.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 CA$58.2

$60.2 ฿1,967

-30.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.63 CA$20.26

$17.14 ฿560

-14.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.88 CA$15.07

$8.69 ฿284

25.20%

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

$845 CA$1,170

$693 ฿22.6K

21.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,217 CA$8,609

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-60.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 CA$85.0

$59.5 ฿1,944

3.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 CA$74.2

$34.77 ฿1,136

54.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 CA$156

$115 ฿3,743

-1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 CA$178

$83.3 ฿2,720

54.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 CA$1,253

$613 ฿20.0K

47.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 CA$1,148

$437 ฿14.3K

89.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 CA$2,083

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-28.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 CA$1,602

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-23.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,881 CA$8,142

$3,749 ฿122.5K

56.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,842 CA$3,934

$2,616 ฿85.4K

8.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,832 CA$3,921

$508 ฿16.6K

457.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

5.33

28.89%

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

Last update for Quebec City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in Quebec City and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quebec City pays 457% 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: $65.0 in Quebec City vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 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

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 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Quebec City pays 457% 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: $905 in Quebec City versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $845 in Quebec City 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 27% higher in Quebec City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,960 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 55% less than in Quebec City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.