Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,727 in Surrey versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,080 in Surrey versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,433 in Surrey versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Surrey is roughly 121% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Surrey is 104% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.15 CA$24.86

$4.63 ฿151

292.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 CA$112

$46.84 ฿1,523

74.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 CA$15.32

$8.84 ฿287

26.47%

Cappuccino

$4.18 CA$5.73

$3.00 ฿97.4

39.33%

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

$2.14 CA$2.93

$0.74 ฿24.11

189.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.49

$0.37 ฿11.88

391.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 CA$7.96

$2.44 ฿79.3

138.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CA$9.65

$3.61 ฿117

95.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.56 CA$3.50

$2.26 ฿73.5

13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CA$3.57

$1.84 ฿59.8

41.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.61 CA$7.69

$2.24 ฿73.0

150.45%

Eggs

$3.65 CA$5.00

$2.32 ฿75.3

57.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 CA$14.38

$19.67 ฿639

-46.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 CA$15.92

$3.65 ฿119

218.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.75 CA$33.90

$13.10 ฿426

88.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 CA$4.59

$3.39 ฿110

-1.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.76

$1.64 ฿53.4

-21.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 CA$4.08

$2.41 ฿78.5

23.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.58

$2.03 ฿66.0

64.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.40

$1.56 ฿50.6

58.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 CA$2.77

$1.50 ฿48.66

34.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CA$3.44

$1.02 ฿33.30

146.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CA$2.67

$0.49 ฿15.91

297.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.01 CA$20.56

$4.45 ฿145

237.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.60 CA$20.00

$18.88 ฿614

-22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.93 CA$5.38

$1.78 ฿57.7

120.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 CA$5.26

$2.75 ฿89.5

39.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 CA$4.22

$1.40 ฿45.54

120.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 CA$175

$11.48 ฿373

1014.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 CA$3.76

$3.12 ฿101

-11.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.01

$1.00 ฿32.48

47.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.10 CA$39.87

$14.09 ฿458

106.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 CA$1.81

$1.35 ฿43.93

-2.22%

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

$24.6K CA$33.6K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-9.67%

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

$20.8K CA$28.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-36.67%

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

$188 CA$257

$125 ฿4,063

50.12%

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

$41.29 CA$56.6

$13.57 ฿441

204.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 CA$90.4

$18.52 ฿602

256.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.18 CA$61.9

$61.5 ฿1,999

-26.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.75 CA$25.69

$16.84 ฿547

11.34%

Cinema Ticket

$12.40 CA$16.99

$9.19 ฿299

34.93%

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

$884 CA$1,211

$698 ฿22.7K

26.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K CA$17.3K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-18.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 CA$77.9

$57.8 ฿1,878

-1.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 CA$75.1

$35.24 ฿1,146

55.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$141

$113 ฿3,677

-9.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.5 CA$130

$86.4 ฿2,808

9.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 CA$2,229

$616 ฿20.0K

164.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 CA$1,903

$446 ฿14.5K

211.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,114 CA$4,266

$2,048 ฿66.6K

52.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,458 CA$3,368

$1,492 ฿48.5K

64.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K CA$14.4K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

177.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,524 CA$11.7K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

221.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,110 CA$4,261

$524 ฿17.0K

493.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

5.33

22.70%

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

Last update for Surrey: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,627 in Surrey and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surrey pays 494% 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: $82.0 in Surrey vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 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

Surrey vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 121% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Surrey pays 494% 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: $1,627 in Surrey versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $884 in Surrey 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 39% higher in Surrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,727 in Surrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Surrey. 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 Surrey, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Surrey 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 121% less than in Surrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.