Cost of Living Comparison Between Quesnel and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Quesnel and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,440 in Quesnel versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,444 in Quesnel versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Quesnel versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Quesnel is roughly 95% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quesnel is 78% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.70 CA$23.02

$4.56 ฿150

266.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.70 CA$64.4

$32.62 ฿1,073

43.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 CA$15.43

$8.90 ฿293

25.73%

Cappuccino

$4.32 CA$5.95

$2.80 ฿92.2

54.29%

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

$2.56 CA$3.53

$0.88 ฿28.94

190.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 CA$2.93

$0.49 ฿16.08

332.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.78 CA$6.60

$2.39 ฿78.5

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 CA$7.84

$3.71 ฿122

53.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 CA$3.24

$1.79 ฿58.8

31.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 CA$3.38

$1.44 ฿47.40

70.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 CA$5.89

$1.58 ฿52.1

170.25%

Eggs

$5.03 CA$6.94

$2.13 ฿69.9

136.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 CA$17.23

$19.92 ฿655

-37.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.98 CA$23.42

$3.43 ฿113

395.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 CA$23.74

$11.33 ฿372

51.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.19 CA$5.77

$2.95 ฿97.0

42.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.82

$1.72 ฿56.6

-23.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 CA$6.49

$2.32 ฿76.5

103.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 CA$5.98

$2.08 ฿68.4

108.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CA$4.46

$1.47 ฿48.34

119.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.11

$1.36 ฿44.65

172.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CA$3.57

$1.10 ฿36.13

135.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.43

$0.57 ฿18.89

208.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 CA$16.47

$4.27 ฿140

179.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 CA$14.72

$18.42 ฿606

-42.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 CA$3.67

$1.87 ฿61.5

42.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 CA$4.76

$2.92 ฿96.1

18.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.30

$2.22 ฿73.0

7.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.5 CA$80.6

$22.90 ฿753

155.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 CA$3.52

$3.03 ฿99.6

-15.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 CA$3.05

$1.07 ฿35.32

106.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.38 CA$59.8

$3.93 ฿129

1003.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.65

$1.49 ฿49.06

-19.46%

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

$29.3K CA$40.5K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

8.14%

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

$23.4K CA$32.3K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

-14.64%

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

$179 CA$247

$103 ฿3,380

74.11%

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

$39.51 CA$54.5

$10.99 ฿361

259.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.4 CA$101

$17.51 ฿576

319.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.02 CA$56.6

$53.5 ฿1,760

-23.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.43 CA$25.42

$11.20 ฿368

64.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 CA$10.63

$7.48 ฿246

3.07%

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

$783 CA$1,080

$557 ฿18.3K

40.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K CA$19.7K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

20.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.51 CA$51.7

$64.1 ฿2,107

-41.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.80 CA$64.5

$29.07 ฿956

60.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 CA$109

$96.0 ฿3,155

-17.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$147

$90.3 ฿2,970

17.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 CA$1,104

$730 ฿24.0K

9.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 CA$1,593

$500 ฿16.4K

131.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 CA$2,756

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-4.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 CA$2,405

$1,209 ฿39.8K

44.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,846 CA$6,683

$3,596 ฿118.2K

34.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,186 CA$4,393

$2,512 ฿82.6K

26.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,490 CA$3,433

$503 ฿16.6K

394.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.35

5.57

-3.95%

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

Last update for Quesnel: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $800 in Quesnel and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quesnel pays 395% 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: $47.00 in Quesnel vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $273 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

Quesnel vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 395% higher in Quesnel, 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: $800 in Quesnel versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $783 in Quesnel versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Quesnel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,440 in Quesnel, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Quesnel. 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 Quesnel, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Quesnel 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 95% less than in Quesnel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.