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: $2,651 in Scarborough versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,499 in Scarborough versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,347 in Scarborough versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Scarborough is roughly 112% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Scarborough is 98% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.25 CA$25.68

$4.55 ฿153

301.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.6 CA$113

$46.18 ฿1,553

74.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 CA$15.63

$8.84 ฿297

25.68%

Cappuccino

$4.05 CA$5.70

$3.06 ฿103

32.35%

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

$2.16 CA$3.03

$0.73 ฿24.40

195.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$0.40 ฿13.39

262.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 CA$8.34

$2.43 ฿81.8

144.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 CA$9.47

$3.78 ฿127

78.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 CA$3.34

$2.26 ฿76.0

4.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.59

$1.81 ฿60.9

40.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 CA$3.94

$2.25 ฿75.8

24.44%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$4.96

$2.25 ฿75.5

56.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 CA$19.31

$19.51 ฿656

-29.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.16

$3.65 ฿123

214.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 CA$20.40

$13.05 ฿439

11.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 CA$4.84

$3.23 ฿109

6.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CA$1.65

$1.62 ฿54.4

-27.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 CA$4.17

$2.38 ฿80.1

24.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.78

$2.03 ฿68.1

67.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 CA$2.30

$1.53 ฿51.6

7.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 CA$3.65

$1.50 ฿50.5

72.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 CA$3.05

$0.98 ฿32.91

121.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$0.52 ฿17.39

205.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.41 CA$18.87

$4.44 ฿149

202.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.71 CA$17.88

$18.32 ฿616

-30.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 CA$3.46

$1.86 ฿62.7

32.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 CA$3.60

$2.68 ฿90.1

-4.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.49

$1.41 ฿47.46

75.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 CA$147

$11.70 ฿393

791.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 CA$4.47

$3.11 ฿105

2.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 CA$1.67

$1.04 ฿35.06

14.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.73 CA$31.98

$14.11 ฿474

61.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 CA$1.54

$1.31 ฿44.10

-16.79%

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

$25.3K CA$35.6K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-9.16%

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

$21.3K CA$30.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-35.90%

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

$176 CA$248

$122 ฿4,118

44.12%

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

$42.59 CA$59.9

$13.59 ฿457

213.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 CA$75.7

$18.70 ฿629

187.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 CA$52.2

$60.5 ฿2,034

-38.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$14.01 CA$19.71

$9.07 ฿305

54.47%

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

$846 CA$1,191

$706 ฿23.8K

19.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CA$15.5K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-30.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.1

$58.6 ฿1,969

-1.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.87 CA$60.3

$35.36 ฿1,189

21.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 CA$123

$115 ฿3,883

-24.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$144

$83.7 ฿2,816

22.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 CA$2,471

$626 ฿21.0K

180.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 CA$1,950

$445 ฿15.0K

211.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,226 CA$3,133

$2,040 ฿68.6K

9.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,248

$1,492 ฿50.2K

7.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 CA$10.8K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

120.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,984 CA$8,419

$2,577 ฿86.7K

132.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,988 CA$4,205

$500 ฿16.8K

497.87%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,756 in Scarborough and $626 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: $81.0 in Scarborough vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $289 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 112% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 498% 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: $1,756 in Scarborough versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $846 in Scarborough versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Scarborough. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,651 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 112% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.