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: $2,626 in Scarborough versus $1,247 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,481 in Scarborough versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,336 in Scarborough versus $3,306 in Phuket.

Living in Scarborough is roughly 111% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Scarborough is 95% above, Phuket is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.31 CA$25.08

$4.59 ฿147

298.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 CA$111

$46.83 ฿1,501

72.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 CA$15.08

$8.70 ฿279

26.55%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.59

$2.92 ฿93.7

39.73%

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

$2.17 CA$2.97

$0.68 ฿21.92

219.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 CA$1.98

$0.40 ฿12.70

262.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 CA$8.21

$2.51 ฿80.4

138.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 CA$9.27

$3.80 ฿122

78.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.19

$2.16 ฿69.3

7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 CA$3.51

$1.88 ฿60.3

36.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 CA$3.79

$2.16 ฿69.2

27.78%

Eggs

$3.49 CA$4.78

$2.22 ฿71.2

57.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.13

$19.57 ฿627

-32.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 CA$15.46

$3.80 ฿122

197.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 CA$19.76

$13.41 ฿430

7.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.85

$3.26 ฿104

8.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 CA$1.60

$1.61 ฿51.7

-27.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 CA$3.93

$2.31 ฿74.0

24.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 CA$4.59

$2.06 ฿66.0

62.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 CA$2.20

$1.61 ฿51.5

-0.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.48

$1.44 ฿46.26

76.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.04

$1.03 ฿33.01

115.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.15

$0.48 ฿15.39

227.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.21 CA$18.09

$4.50 ฿144

193.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.28 CA$18.20

$19.18 ฿615

-30.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.38

$1.82 ฿58.4

35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.53

$2.69 ฿86.2

-4.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 CA$3.39

$1.38 ฿44.16

78.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 CA$142

$11.76 ฿377

781.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 CA$4.36

$3.11 ฿99.6

2.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 CA$1.62

$1.00 ฿32.18

18.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.61 CA$30.97

$13.74 ฿441

64.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.51

$1.30 ฿41.61

-15.38%

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

$25.4K CA$34.8K

$27.4K ฿877.0K

-7.23%

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

$20.8K CA$28.5K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-36.98%

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

$178 CA$244

$125 ฿4,004

42.81%

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

$42.30 CA$58.0

$13.74 ฿440

207.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 CA$75.5

$18.61 ฿597

195.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.23 CA$49.63

$60.6 ฿1,941

-40.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

Cinema Ticket

$14.25 CA$19.53

$9.01 ฿289

58.16%

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

$839 CA$1,150

$698 ฿22.4K

20.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$14.9K

$16.1K ฿516.5K

-32.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$78.8

$59.2 ฿1,898

-2.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.86 CA$58.7

$34.86 ฿1,118

22.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 CA$120

$114 ฿3,662

-23.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CA$143

$85.8 ฿2,751

21.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,390

$619 ฿19.8K

182.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 CA$1,912

$437 ฿14.0K

219.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,225 CA$3,049

$2,075 ฿66.5K

7.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,647 CA$2,257

$1,509 ฿48.4K

9.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,846 CA$10.7K

$3,764 ฿120.7K

108.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,164 CA$8,445

$2,694 ฿86.4K

128.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,074 CA$4,211

$528 ฿16.9K

481.61%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,745 in Scarborough and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 482% 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: $81 in Scarborough vs $47 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $292 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 111% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Scarborough pays 482% 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: $1,745 in Scarborough versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $839 in Scarborough versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Scarborough. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $2,626 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 111% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.