Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Albert, AB and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Albert, AB and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,398 in St. Albert, AB versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,120 in St. Albert, AB versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,841 in St. Albert, AB versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in St. Albert, AB is roughly 95% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St. Albert, AB is 79% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.57 CA$25.44

$4.63 ฿151

301.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 CA$91.1

$46.84 ฿1,523

41.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 CA$14.87

$8.84 ฿287

22.74%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.21

$3.00 ฿97.4

27.00%

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

$2.16 CA$2.96

$0.74 ฿24.11

191.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.52

$0.37 ฿11.88

397.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.17 CA$7.08

$2.44 ฿79.3

111.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 CA$8.03

$3.61 ฿117

62.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 CA$2.85

$2.26 ฿73.5

-7.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.77

$1.84 ฿59.8

49.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 CA$4.45

$2.24 ฿73.0

45.09%

Eggs

$3.28 CA$4.50

$2.32 ฿75.3

41.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.87 CA$19.00

$19.67 ฿639

-29.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 CA$17.31

$3.65 ฿119

246.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.10 CA$22.06

$13.10 ฿426

22.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 CA$6.09

$3.39 ฿110

31.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.88

$1.64 ฿53.4

-16.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.36

$2.41 ฿78.5

62.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 CA$5.65

$2.03 ฿66.0

102.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.64

$1.56 ฿50.6

69.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 CA$3.70

$1.50 ฿48.66

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 CA$3.62

$1.02 ฿33.30

158.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 CA$2.54

$0.49 ฿15.91

279.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.95 CA$20.48

$4.45 ฿145

235.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.06 CA$17.89

$18.88 ฿614

-30.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 CA$4.04

$1.78 ฿57.7

65.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 CA$4.44

$2.75 ฿89.5

17.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 CA$2.96

$1.40 ฿45.54

54.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.9 CA$86.2

$11.48 ฿373

447.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 CA$4.82

$3.12 ฿101

12.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 CA$1.87

$1.00 ฿32.48

37.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.65 CA$32.40

$14.09 ฿458

67.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 CA$1.43

$1.35 ฿43.93

-22.96%

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

$25.0K CA$34.2K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-8.21%

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

$21.4K CA$29.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-34.95%

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

$205 CA$281

$125 ฿4,063

64.13%

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

$41.66 CA$57.1

$13.57 ฿441

207.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 CA$80.6

$18.52 ฿602

217.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.08 CA$56.3

$61.5 ฿1,999

-33.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$12.75 CA$17.46

$9.19 ฿299

38.74%

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

$703 CA$963

$698 ฿22.7K

0.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$15.9K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-25.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 CA$81.6

$57.8 ฿1,878

3.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.88 CA$57.4

$35.24 ฿1,146

18.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 CA$115

$113 ฿3,677

-26.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CA$148

$86.4 ฿2,808

24.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 CA$1,771

$616 ฿20.0K

109.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 CA$1,620

$446 ฿14.5K

165.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 CA$1,850

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-34.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 CA$1,585

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-22.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,705 CA$3,705

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-28.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,627 CA$3,598

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-0.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,199 CA$4,383

$524 ฿17.0K

510.73%

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 St. Albert, AB: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,293 in St. Albert, AB and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Albert, AB pays 511% 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: $66.0 in St. Albert, AB vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 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

St. Albert, AB 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 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

St. Albert, AB pays 511% 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: $1,293 in St. Albert, AB versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in St. Albert, AB 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 33% higher in St. Albert, AB. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,398 in St. Albert, AB, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in St. Albert, AB. 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 St. Albert, AB, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, St. Albert, AB 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 95% less than in St. Albert, AB. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.