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: $2,126 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,104 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,082 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Sault Ste. Marie is roughly 70% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sault Ste. Marie is 55% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.21 CA$23.81

$4.56 ฿150

277.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.4 CA$102

$32.62 ฿1,072

124.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.49 CA$14.51

$8.90 ฿293

17.87%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.05

$2.80 ฿92.2

30.36%

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

$1.66 CA$2.30

$0.88 ฿28.93

88.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$1.95

$0.49 ฿16.08

187.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 CA$6.57

$2.39 ฿78.5

98.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 CA$7.11

$3.71 ฿122

38.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 CA$3.45

$1.79 ฿58.7

39.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 CA$2.87

$1.44 ฿47.38

43.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.61

$1.58 ฿52.1

110.76%

Eggs

$2.99 CA$4.14

$2.13 ฿69.9

40.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 CA$11.51

$19.92 ฿655

-58.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 CA$13.83

$3.43 ฿113

191.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 CA$14.69

$11.33 ฿372

-6.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CA$4.37

$2.95 ฿96.9

7.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 CA$1.39

$1.72 ฿56.6

-41.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 CA$4.32

$2.32 ฿76.4

34.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 CA$4.78

$2.08 ฿68.4

65.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 CA$2.89

$1.47 ฿48.33

42.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.48

$1.36 ฿44.64

31.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.79

$1.10 ฿36.12

149.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CA$1.76

$0.57 ฿18.89

122.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.07 CA$22.23

$4.27 ฿140

276.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 CA$14.82

$18.42 ฿605

-41.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.48

$1.87 ฿61.5

-4.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CA$3.18

$2.92 ฿96.0

-21.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.18

$2.22 ฿72.9

3.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 CA$78.6

$22.90 ฿753

147.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 CA$4.91

$3.03 ฿99.6

17.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 CA$3.32

$1.07 ฿35.31

124.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.67 CA$32.75

$3.93 ฿129

502.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 CA$1.45

$1.49 ฿49.04

-29.53%

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

$24.6K CA$34.1K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

-9.22%

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

$19.1K CA$26.4K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

-30.46%

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

$183 CA$253

$103 ฿3,379

77.81%

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

$45.85 CA$63.5

$10.99 ฿361

317.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.8 CA$109

$17.51 ฿576

350.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 CA$70.9

$53.5 ฿1,760

-4.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.74 CA$24.54

$11.20 ฿368

58.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.63 CA$16.09

$7.48 ฿246

55.48%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,053 CA$6,992

$11.9K ฿389.6K

-57.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.24 CA$64.0

$64.1 ฿2,106

-27.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.29 CA$50.2

$29.07 ฿956

24.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 CA$106

$96.0 ฿3,154

-20.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$168

$90.3 ฿2,970

34.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 CA$1,253

$730 ฿24.0K

24.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 CA$1,318

$500 ฿16.4K

90.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 CA$1,840

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-36.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 CA$2,092

$1,209 ฿39.7K

25.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,863 CA$2,578

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-48.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,654 CA$7,824

$2,512 ฿82.6K

125.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,052 CA$4,223

$503 ฿16.5K

506.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

5.57

-0.72%

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

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $906 in Sault Ste. Marie and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sault Ste. Marie pays 506% 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 $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 506% higher in Sault Ste. Marie, 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: $906 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $73.0 in Sault Ste. Marie. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 148% less than in Sault Ste. Marie. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,126 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 70% less than in Sault Ste. Marie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.