Cost of Living Comparison Between Summerland and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Summerland and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,228 in Summerland versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,210 in Summerland versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,193 in Summerland versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Summerland is roughly 81% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Summerland is 63% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.65 CA$14.80

$4.41 ฿146

141.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 CA$80.1

$32.26 ฿1,071

78.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 CA$14.39

$8.93 ฿297

15.90%

Cappuccino

$3.49 CA$4.85

$2.90 ฿96.1

20.34%

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

$1.81 CA$2.52

$0.88 ฿29.22

105.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.24

$0.48 ฿15.97

235.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 CA$8.46

$2.35 ฿78.1

159.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 CA$7.87

$3.72 ฿124

52.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 CA$2.60

$1.87 ฿61.9

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 CA$3.08

$1.47 ฿48.68

51.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.47 CA$6.21

$1.55 ฿51.5

188.39%

Eggs

$3.16 CA$4.39

$2.10 ฿69.8

50.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 CA$17.51

$19.59 ฿650

-35.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.53 CA$25.75

$3.42 ฿114

441.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.04 CA$26.46

$11.38 ฿378

67.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 CA$6.42

$2.98 ฿99.1

55.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 CA$1.50

$1.68 ฿55.9

-35.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.07

$2.21 ฿73.3

65.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 CA$5.05

$2.16 ฿71.8

68.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 CA$2.26

$1.52 ฿50.6

6.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.67

$1.34 ฿44.43

97.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CA$3.66

$1.13 ฿37.47

132.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.56

$0.55 ฿18.14

234.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.00 CA$22.24

$4.26 ฿142

275.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 CA$15.23

$19.09 ฿634

-42.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.07 CA$5.66

$1.78 ฿59.1

128.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 CA$5.18

$2.78 ฿92.4

34.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.20

$2.23 ฿74.0

3.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 CA$90.4

$22.74 ฿755

186.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 CA$4.86

$3.03 ฿101

15.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$1.02 ฿33.96

43.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.87 CA$34.56

$3.89 ฿129

539.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.60

$1.49 ฿49.50

-22.82%

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

$26.6K CA$37.0K

$26.6K ฿882.5K

0.07%

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

$18.9K CA$26.3K

$27.0K ฿897.4K

-29.92%

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

$114 CA$159

$102 ฿3,402

11.70%

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

$35.93 CA$49.94

$11.33 ฿376

217.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 CA$79.2

$17.40 ฿578

227.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.54 CA$57.8

$52.1 ฿1,729

-20.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.53 CA$28.54

$11.07 ฿368

85.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.06 CA$9.82

$7.69 ฿255

-8.19%

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

$371 CA$516

$561 ฿18.6K

-33.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,847 CA$10.9K

$11.5K ฿382.0K

-31.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 CA$73.0

$63.0 ฿2,093

-16.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.32 CA$49.09

$29.52 ฿980

19.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 CA$114

$98.0 ฿3,254

-16.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CA$144

$88.5 ฿2,938

16.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 CA$1,848

$738 ฿24.5K

80.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 CA$1,520

$482 ฿16.0K

126.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,997 CA$2,776

$2,107 ฿69.9K

-5.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 CA$2,406

$1,226 ฿40.7K

41.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,948 CA$5,489

$3,617 ฿120.1K

9.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,697 CA$5,140

$2,603 ฿86.4K

42.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,457 CA$4,806

$494 ฿16.4K

600.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

5.57

-15.26%

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

Last update for Summerland: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,329 in Summerland and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Summerland pays 600% 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: $58.0 in Summerland vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 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

Summerland vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 600% higher in Summerland, 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: $1,329 in Summerland versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $371 in Summerland 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 51% higher in Summerland. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,228 in Summerland, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Summerland. 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 Summerland, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Summerland 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 81% less than in Summerland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.