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: $2,706 in Surrey versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,121 in Surrey versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,535 in Surrey versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Surrey is roughly 114% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Surrey is 103% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.30 CA$25.65

$4.48 ฿150

308.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 CA$112

$45.59 ฿1,521

75.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 CA$15.40

$8.76 ฿292

25.46%

Cappuccino

$4.10 CA$5.75

$2.97 ฿99.0

38.05%

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

$2.03 CA$2.84

$0.69 ฿22.90

194.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.44

$0.39 ฿13.04

346.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 CA$8.47

$2.53 ฿84.4

139.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 CA$9.86

$3.75 ฿125

87.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 CA$3.70

$2.15 ฿71.6

22.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$1.82 ฿60.6

43.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 CA$7.56

$2.18 ฿72.9

147.25%

Eggs

$3.58 CA$5.02

$2.25 ฿75.0

59.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.36 CA$14.51

$20.00 ฿667

-48.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 CA$16.34

$3.63 ฿121

221.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.92 CA$34.92

$13.56 ฿452

83.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.68

$3.24 ฿108

3.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.64 ฿54.6

-18.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.31

$2.33 ฿77.8

31.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.77

$2.07 ฿69.1

64.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 CA$3.45

$1.55 ฿51.6

58.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 CA$2.79

$1.46 ฿48.54

36.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 CA$3.37

$0.98 ฿32.86

145.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 CA$2.77

$0.48 ฿16.09

312.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 CA$20.48

$4.35 ฿145

235.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 CA$19.60

$18.57 ฿620

-24.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.85 CA$5.39

$1.86 ฿61.9

106.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 CA$5.64

$2.65 ฿88.6

52.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 CA$4.48

$1.42 ฿47.28

125.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$127 CA$178

$11.57 ฿386

996.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 CA$3.90

$3.17 ฿106

-12.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.09

$1.03 ฿34.41

44.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.40 CA$39.80

$13.89 ฿463

104.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.83

$1.34 ฿44.84

-2.24%

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

$25.3K CA$35.5K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-8.79%

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

$20.9K CA$29.3K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-37.29%

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

$192 CA$269

$123 ฿4,105

56.16%

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

$42.36 CA$59.4

$13.77 ฿459

207.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 CA$92.6

$18.33 ฿611

260.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.22 CA$62.0

$60.7 ฿2,025

-27.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 CA$26.21

$17.16 ฿573

8.97%

Cinema Ticket

$12.50 CA$17.51

$8.87 ฿296

40.92%

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

$909 CA$1,273

$688 ฿22.9K

32.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K CA$17.6K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-20.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 CA$77.9

$59.3 ฿1,978

-6.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 CA$74.0

$34.69 ฿1,157

52.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$145

$115 ฿3,843

-10.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 CA$133

$83.8 ฿2,794

13.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 CA$2,284

$621 ฿20.7K

162.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 CA$1,916

$446 ฿14.9K

206.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,074 CA$4,307

$2,034 ฿67.8K

51.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,424 CA$3,397

$1,496 ฿49.9K

62.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,719 CA$13.6K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

181.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,636 CA$12.1K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

241.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,016 CA$4,226

$494 ฿16.5K

511.02%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,630 in Surrey and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surrey 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: $80.0 in Surrey vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $291 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 114% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 511% 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: $1,630 in Surrey versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $909 in Surrey versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Surrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,706 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 114% less than in Surrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.