Cost of Living Comparison Between Thompson and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Thompson and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Thompson versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,748 in Thompson versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,658 in Thompson versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Thompson is roughly 45% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Thompson is 33% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 CA$25.13

$4.66 ฿154

288.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 CA$94.3

$32.22 ฿1,066

110.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 CA$14.81

$8.68 ฿287

23.04%

Cappuccino

$3.67 CA$5.09

$2.90 ฿95.9

26.55%

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

$2.02 CA$2.80

$0.84 ฿27.91

140.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.25

$0.49 ฿16.17

230.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 CA$7.45

$2.48 ฿82.1

116.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 CA$7.90

$3.73 ฿123

52.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CA$2.84

$1.89 ฿62.3

8.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 CA$3.56

$1.41 ฿46.58

82.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.43 CA$4.76

$1.62 ฿53.6

111.73%

Eggs

$3.58 CA$4.96

$2.24 ฿74.1

59.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 CA$14.00

$19.84 ฿656

-49.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.04

$3.48 ฿115

232.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.06 CA$20.88

$11.37 ฿376

32.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.23

$2.90 ฿95.9

30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.82

$1.72 ฿57.0

-23.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.30

$2.27 ฿75.2

68.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.38

$2.13 ฿70.5

82.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CA$3.50

$1.47 ฿48.77

71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.05

$1.42 ฿46.96

54.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 CA$3.40

$1.10 ฿36.29

122.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.21

$0.60 ฿19.78

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.65 CA$20.32

$4.31 ฿142

239.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 CA$17.37

$18.60 ฿615

-32.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.65

$1.80 ฿59.6

46.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 CA$4.47

$2.97 ฿98.1

8.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 CA$3.17

$2.25 ฿74.3

1.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 CA$87.4

$23.49 ฿777

168.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 CA$4.20

$3.10 ฿103

-2.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 CA$2.11

$1.08 ฿35.59

40.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.68 CA$32.84

$3.87 ฿128

511.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.55

$1.43 ฿47.20

-21.68%

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

$28.6K CA$39.6K

$27.8K ฿918.9K

2.88%

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

$19.4K CA$26.9K

$27.0K ฿892.4K

-28.09%

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

$137 CA$191

$105 ฿3,466

31.14%

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

$39.79 CA$55.2

$11.39 ฿377

249.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CA$80.1

$17.54 ฿580

229.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.01 CA$58.3

$54.3 ฿1,797

-22.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.84 CA$26.12

$11.44 ฿378

64.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 CA$15.67

$7.78 ฿257

45.24%

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

$761 CA$1,055

$576 ฿19.1K

32.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K CA$18.5K

$11.6K ฿383.0K

14.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 CA$75.0

$63.6 ฿2,104

-14.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.28 CA$54.5

$29.10 ฿962

34.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 CA$119

$96.2 ฿3,182

-11.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$141

$90.0 ฿2,977

13.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 CA$948

$733 ฿24.2K

-6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 CA$937

$501 ฿16.6K

34.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 CA$1,547

$2,126 ฿70.3K

-47.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 CA$1,579

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-9.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,363 CA$6,051

$3,534 ฿116.9K

23.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,690 CA$5,117

$2,622 ฿86.7K

40.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,561 CA$2,165

$508 ฿16.8K

207.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

5.57

-15.98%

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

Last update for Thompson: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $684 in Thompson and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thompson pays 208% 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: $68.0 in Thompson vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $275 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

Thompson 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 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 208% higher in Thompson, 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: $684 in Thompson versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $761 in Thompson versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Thompson. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,837 in Thompson, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Thompson. 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 Thompson, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Thompson 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 45% less than in Thompson. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.