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: $2,329 in Surrey versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,611 in Surrey versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,893 in Surrey versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Surrey is roughly 89% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Surrey is 70% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.21 CA$25.47

$4.41 ฿147

312.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 CA$81.8

$32.26 ฿1,077

81.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$14.85

$8.93 ฿298

18.81%

Cappuccino

$3.59 CA$5.02

$2.90 ฿96.6

23.79%

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

$2.06 CA$2.89

$0.88 ฿29.38

134.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.28

$0.48 ฿16.06

239.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 CA$8.40

$2.35 ฿78.5

155.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 CA$8.65

$3.72 ฿124

66.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 CA$3.51

$1.87 ฿62.3

34.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 CA$3.00

$1.47 ฿48.94

45.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 CA$4.99

$1.55 ฿51.8

130.32%

Eggs

$3.33 CA$4.66

$2.10 ฿70.1

58.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 CA$14.11

$19.59 ฿654

-48.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.73 CA$15.00

$3.42 ฿114

213.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.77 CA$29.06

$11.38 ฿380

82.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 CA$4.69

$2.98 ฿99.6

12.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 CA$1.90

$1.68 ฿56.2

-19.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.23

$2.21 ฿73.7

36.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 CA$4.33

$2.16 ฿72.1

43.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 CA$3.63

$1.52 ฿50.9

71.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CA$2.99

$1.34 ฿44.67

59.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 CA$2.88

$1.13 ฿37.67

82.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.46

$0.55 ฿18.24

220.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.15 CA$19.79

$4.26 ฿142

232.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.63 CA$20.46

$19.09 ฿637

-23.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.78 ฿59.4

46.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$2.78 ฿92.9

14.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.59 CA$3.63

$2.23 ฿74.4

16.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$156

$22.74 ฿759

390.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 CA$3.71

$3.03 ฿101

-12.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 CA$2.22

$1.02 ฿34.15

55.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.99 CA$39.16

$3.89 ฿130

619.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 CA$1.77

$1.49 ฿49.77

-15.44%

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

$28.7K CA$40.2K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

8.03%

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

$19.2K CA$26.8K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-29.00%

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

$187 CA$262

$102 ฿3,420

82.51%

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

$37.07 CA$51.9

$11.33 ฿378

227.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 CA$91.3

$17.40 ฿581

275.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.52 CA$49.69

$52.1 ฿1,738

-31.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.06 CA$36.45

$11.07 ฿370

135.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 CA$18.31

$7.69 ฿257

70.22%

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

$846 CA$1,184

$561 ฿18.7K

50.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K CA$17.3K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

7.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 CA$78.0

$63.0 ฿2,104

-11.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.2 CA$88.3

$29.52 ฿986

113.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 CA$138

$98.0 ฿3,272

0.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.0 CA$127

$88.5 ฿2,954

2.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,336 CA$1,869

$738 ฿24.6K

81.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 CA$1,488

$482 ฿16.1K

120.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,747 CA$3,843

$2,107 ฿70.3K

30.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,127 CA$2,976

$1,226 ฿40.9K

73.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,623 CA$13.5K

$3,617 ฿120.7K

166.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,505 CA$11.9K

$2,603 ฿86.9K

226.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,158 CA$4,417

$494 ฿16.5K

539.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

5.57

-12.57%

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

Last update for Surrey: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,336 in Surrey and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surrey pays 540% 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 Surrey vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 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

Surrey vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 540% higher in Surrey, 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: $1,336 in Surrey versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $846 in Surrey 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 33% higher in Surrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,329 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 89% less than in Surrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.