Cost of Living Comparison Between Vaughan and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Vaughan and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,551 in Vaughan versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,782 in Vaughan versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,013 in Vaughan versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Vaughan is roughly 102% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vaughan is 90% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.57 CA$20.26

$4.70 ฿153

210.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.7 CA$105

$45.37 ฿1,482

66.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 CA$14.48

$8.43 ฿275

23.49%

Cappuccino

$3.54 CA$4.92

$2.93 ฿95.6

20.82%

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

$2.10 CA$2.92

$0.69 ฿22.40

204.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.37

$0.37 ฿11.99

362.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 CA$8.77

$2.41 ฿78.6

161.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 CA$7.18

$3.72 ฿122

38.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 CA$2.44

$2.23 ฿72.9

-21.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 CA$3.13

$1.83 ฿59.8

22.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.29

$2.17 ฿70.8

75.12%

Eggs

$3.41 CA$4.74

$2.21 ฿72.3

54.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 CA$12.04

$19.74 ฿645

-56.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.81 CA$15.04

$3.63 ฿119

197.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.60 CA$9.18

$13.53 ฿442

-51.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.14

$3.28 ฿107

-9.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CA$2.14

$1.61 ฿52.6

-4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 CA$3.88

$2.41 ฿78.6

15.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.72

$2.08 ฿68.1

63.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.70

$1.53 ฿49.93

26.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 CA$2.84

$1.48 ฿48.36

37.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 CA$2.50

$0.99 ฿32.29

80.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.36

$0.51 ฿16.67

231.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.99 CA$18.07

$4.41 ฿144

194.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.00 CA$16.69

$19.38 ฿633

-38.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 CA$2.98

$1.78 ฿58.1

20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 CA$2.97

$2.71 ฿88.6

-21.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.92

$1.37 ฿44.79

105.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$154

$11.39 ฿372

870.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.40

$3.02 ฿98.6

4.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 CA$1.90

$0.99 ฿32.48

38.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.62 CA$31.46

$14.10 ฿461

60.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.60

$1.36 ฿44.51

-15.44%

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

$24.8K CA$34.5K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-12.09%

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

$19.7K CA$27.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-40.04%

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

$132 CA$184

$122 ฿3,975

8.84%

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

$33.47 CA$46.55

$13.57 ฿443

146.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 CA$71.0

$18.31 ฿598

178.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.59 CA$45.33

$60.2 ฿1,967

-45.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.71 CA$30.19

$17.14 ฿560

26.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.72 CA$14.91

$8.69 ฿284

23.36%

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

$815 CA$1,133

$693 ฿22.6K

17.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K CA$25.8K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

18.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.55 CA$60.6

$59.5 ฿1,944

-26.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.06 CA$51.5

$34.77 ฿1,136

6.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.1 CA$83.5

$115 ฿3,743

-47.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$146

$83.3 ฿2,720

25.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 CA$2,380

$613 ฿20.0K

179.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,513 CA$2,104

$437 ฿14.3K

246.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,092 CA$4,300

$2,094 ฿68.4K

47.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,483 CA$3,453

$1,509 ฿49.3K

64.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,784 CA$12.2K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

134.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,361 CA$8,846

$2,616 ฿85.4K

143.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,036 CA$4,222

$508 ฿16.6K

497.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.73

5.33

26.27%

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

Last update for Vaughan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,712 in Vaughan and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vaughan pays 497% 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: $76.0 in Vaughan vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $293 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

Vaughan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Vaughan pays 497% 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: $1,712 in Vaughan versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $815 in Vaughan versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Vaughan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,551 in Vaughan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vaughan. 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 Vaughan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Vaughan 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 102% less than in Vaughan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.