Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,593 in Scarborough versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,460 in Scarborough versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,326 in Scarborough versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Scarborough is roughly 105% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Scarborough is 94% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 CA$25.39

$4.70 ฿153

288.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 CA$111

$45.37 ฿1,482

76.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 CA$15.52

$8.43 ฿275

32.38%

Cappuccino

$4.22 CA$5.86

$2.93 ฿95.6

44.03%

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

$2.17 CA$3.02

$0.69 ฿22.40

214.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 CA$2.10

$0.37 ฿11.99

308.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$7.99

$2.41 ฿78.6

138.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.57 CA$9.14

$3.72 ฿122

76.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$2.23 ฿72.9

7.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 CA$3.56

$1.83 ฿59.8

39.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.74

$2.17 ฿70.8

23.96%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$4.91

$2.21 ฿72.3

59.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.56 CA$18.86

$19.74 ฿645

-31.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.05

$3.63 ฿119

217.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.90 CA$20.72

$13.53 ฿442

10.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 CA$4.80

$3.28 ฿107

5.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 CA$1.58

$1.61 ฿52.6

-29.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.10

$2.41 ฿78.6

22.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 CA$4.91

$2.08 ฿68.1

69.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.53 ฿49.93

4.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 CA$3.62

$1.48 ฿48.36

75.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 CA$3.08

$0.99 ฿32.29

123.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.22

$0.51 ฿16.67

211.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.38 CA$18.61

$4.41 ฿144

203.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 CA$17.74

$19.38 ฿633

-34.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$1.78 ฿58.1

41.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.52

$2.71 ฿88.6

-6.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 CA$3.35

$1.37 ฿44.79

75.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CA$146

$11.39 ฿372

821.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 CA$4.31

$3.02 ฿98.6

2.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 CA$1.71

$0.99 ฿32.48

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.02 CA$32.01

$14.10 ฿461

63.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.53

$1.36 ฿44.51

-19.12%

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

$24.7K CA$34.3K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-12.47%

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

$21.3K CA$29.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-35.35%

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

$179 CA$249

$122 ฿3,975

47.13%

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

$42.53 CA$59.2

$13.57 ฿443

213.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 CA$74.7

$18.31 ฿598

193.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.41 CA$52.0

$60.2 ฿1,967

-37.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$14.24 CA$19.80

$8.69 ฿284

63.87%

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

$843 CA$1,173

$693 ฿22.6K

21.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$15.1K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-30.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 CA$80.3

$59.5 ฿1,944

-2.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.00 CA$59.8

$34.77 ฿1,136

23.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 CA$120

$115 ฿3,743

-24.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$143

$83.3 ฿2,720

23.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,740 CA$2,420

$613 ฿20.0K

183.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 CA$1,947

$437 ฿14.3K

220.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 CA$3,063

$2,094 ฿68.4K

5.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,265

$1,509 ฿49.3K

7.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,653 CA$10.6K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

104.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,335 CA$8,810

$2,616 ฿85.4K

142.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,040 CA$4,228

$508 ฿16.6K

498.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

5.33

14.07%

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

Last update for Scarborough: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,740 in Scarborough and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 498% 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: $80.0 in Scarborough vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 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

Scarborough vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Scarborough pays 498% 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: $1,740 in Scarborough versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $843 in Scarborough 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 20% higher in Scarborough. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,593 in Scarborough, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Scarborough. 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 Scarborough, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Scarborough 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 105% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.