Cost of Living Comparison Between Sault Ste. Marie and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sault Ste. Marie and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,002 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,967 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Sault Ste. Marie is roughly 58% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sault Ste. Marie is 49% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.61 CA$23.10

$4.70 ฿153

253.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$102

$45.37 ฿1,482

61.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 CA$13.85

$8.43 ฿275

18.15%

Cappuccino

$3.51 CA$4.88

$2.93 ฿95.6

19.80%

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

$1.74 CA$2.42

$0.69 ฿22.40

152.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 CA$1.86

$0.37 ฿11.99

262.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.47 CA$6.22

$2.41 ฿78.6

85.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 CA$7.55

$3.72 ฿122

45.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.66 CA$3.70

$2.23 ฿72.9

19.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 CA$3.23

$1.83 ฿59.8

26.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.31

$2.17 ฿70.8

76.04%

Eggs

$2.94 CA$4.09

$2.21 ฿72.3

33.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 CA$12.56

$19.74 ฿645

-54.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 CA$14.24

$3.63 ฿119

182.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.61 CA$16.14

$13.53 ฿442

-14.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 CA$4.24

$3.28 ฿107

-7.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.61

$1.61 ฿52.6

-27.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.25

$2.41 ฿78.6

26.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 CA$5.00

$2.08 ฿68.1

72.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$1.53 ฿49.93

43.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 CA$2.20

$1.48 ฿48.36

6.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.80

$0.99 ฿32.29

176.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.26

$0.51 ฿16.67

217.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 CA$16.22

$4.41 ฿144

164.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 CA$15.23

$19.38 ฿633

-43.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.63

$1.78 ฿58.1

6.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 CA$3.44

$2.71 ฿88.6

-8.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.37

$1.37 ฿44.79

76.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.7 CA$81.6

$11.39 ฿372

415.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 CA$5.01

$3.02 ฿98.6

19.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 CA$2.60

$0.99 ฿32.48

88.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.31 CA$33.81

$14.10 ฿461

72.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.55

$1.36 ฿44.51

-18.38%

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

$24.7K CA$34.3K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-12.58%

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

$20.0K CA$27.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-39.20%

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

$167 CA$232

$122 ฿3,975

36.89%

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

$41.14 CA$57.2

$13.57 ฿443

203.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 CA$96.1

$18.31 ฿598

277.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.11 CA$46.05

$60.2 ฿1,967

-45.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 CA$25.55

$17.14 ฿560

7.23%

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.50

$8.69 ฿284

44.76%

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

$510 CA$709

$693 ฿22.6K

-26.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,122 CA$7,123

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-67.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.27 CA$65.7

$59.5 ฿1,944

-20.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.55 CA$50.8

$34.77 ฿1,136

5.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.2 CA$86.5

$115 ฿3,743

-45.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 CA$174

$83.3 ฿2,720

50.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 CA$1,253

$613 ฿20.0K

46.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 CA$1,272

$437 ฿14.3K

109.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 CA$2,054

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-29.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CA$2,125

$1,509 ฿49.3K

1.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,847 CA$2,569

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-50.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,607 CA$7,797

$2,616 ฿85.4K

114.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,036 CA$4,222

$508 ฿16.6K

497.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.33

25.14%

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

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Sault Ste. Marie and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sault Ste. Marie pays 497% 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: $73.0 in Sault Ste. Marie vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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

Sault Ste. Marie vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sault Ste. Marie pays 497% 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: $901 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $510 in Sault Ste. Marie 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 9% higher in Sault Ste. Marie. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,002 in Sault Ste. Marie, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sault Ste. Marie. 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 Sault Ste. Marie, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sault Ste. Marie 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 58% less than in Sault Ste. Marie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.