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: $2,549 in Scarborough versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Scarborough versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,443 in Scarborough versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Scarborough is roughly 107% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Scarborough is 86% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.54 CA$24.54

$4.41 ฿147

297.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.7 CA$100

$32.26 ฿1,077

122.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 CA$15.18

$8.93 ฿298

21.50%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.72

$2.90 ฿96.6

41.03%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$0.88 ฿29.38

138.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$1.97

$0.48 ฿16.06

193.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 CA$9.01

$2.35 ฿78.5

174.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 CA$9.81

$3.72 ฿124

88.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.78 CA$3.88

$1.87 ฿62.3

48.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 CA$3.68

$1.47 ฿48.94

78.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 CA$3.63

$1.55 ฿51.8

67.10%

Eggs

$3.85 CA$5.39

$2.10 ฿70.1

83.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 CA$14.08

$19.59 ฿654

-48.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 CA$15.62

$3.42 ฿114

226.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.51 CA$18.90

$11.38 ฿380

18.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 CA$4.91

$2.98 ฿99.6

17.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.68 ฿56.2

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.77

$2.21 ฿73.7

54.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.74

$2.16 ฿72.1

89.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$1.52 ฿50.9

21.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 CA$2.15

$1.34 ฿44.67

14.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.30

$1.13 ฿37.67

108.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CA$2.09

$0.55 ฿18.24

170.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 CA$20.44

$4.26 ฿142

242.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 CA$17.88

$19.09 ฿637

-33.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.78 ฿59.4

25.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 CA$3.55

$2.78 ฿92.9

-8.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 CA$3.37

$2.23 ฿74.4

8.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 CA$153

$22.74 ฿759

379.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 CA$4.22

$3.03 ฿101

-0.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 CA$1.78

$1.02 ฿34.15

24.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.04 CA$30.83

$3.89 ฿130

466.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.49 ฿49.77

-18.12%

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

$26.9K CA$37.6K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

1.13%

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

$20.7K CA$28.9K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-23.54%

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

$145 CA$202

$102 ฿3,420

41.05%

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

$36.27 CA$50.7

$11.33 ฿378

220.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.71 CA$68.1

$17.40 ฿581

179.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.49 CA$49.64

$52.1 ฿1,738

-31.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.78 CA$50.1

$11.07 ฿370

223.22%

Cinema Ticket

$13.01 CA$18.20

$7.69 ฿257

69.18%

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

$788 CA$1,103

$561 ฿18.7K

40.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$15.1K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-6.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 CA$75.4

$63.0 ฿2,104

-14.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.60 CA$58.2

$29.52 ฿986

40.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 CA$120

$98.0 ฿3,272

-12.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$148

$88.5 ฿2,954

19.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 CA$2,423

$738 ฿24.6K

134.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 CA$1,922

$482 ฿16.1K

184.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 CA$2,977

$2,107 ฿70.3K

1.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,771 CA$2,478

$1,226 ฿40.9K

44.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,645 CA$10.7K

$3,617 ฿120.7K

111.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,108 CA$8,545

$2,603 ฿86.9K

134.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,020 CA$4,225

$494 ฿16.5K

511.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

5.57

-19.03%

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

Last update for Scarborough: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,732 in Scarborough and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 512% 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: $72.0 in Scarborough vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $274 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, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 512% higher in Scarborough, 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: $1,732 in Scarborough versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $788 in Scarborough versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Scarborough. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,549 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 107% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.