Cost of Living Comparison Between Yellowknife and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Yellowknife and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,960 in Yellowknife versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,236 in Yellowknife versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,511 in Yellowknife versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Yellowknife is roughly 134% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yellowknife is 121% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.77 CA$23.22

$4.70 ฿153

256.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 CA$120

$45.37 ฿1,482

91.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 CA$10.58

$8.43 ฿275

-9.37%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.30

$2.93 ฿95.6

30.72%

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

$2.63 CA$3.64

$0.69 ฿22.40

281.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 CA$2.92

$0.37 ฿11.99

470.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 CA$8.42

$2.41 ฿78.6

152.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.22 CA$10.00

$3.72 ฿122

94.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.52 CA$3.49

$2.23 ฿72.9

13.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.71

$1.83 ฿59.8

46.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 CA$6.59

$2.17 ฿70.8

119.35%

Eggs

$3.36 CA$4.65

$2.21 ฿72.3

52.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 CA$10.11

$19.74 ฿645

-63.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.83 CA$23.30

$3.63 ฿119

363.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.36 CA$22.66

$13.53 ฿442

20.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 CA$6.99

$3.28 ฿107

53.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CA$2.13

$1.61 ฿52.6

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.56 CA$7.70

$2.41 ฿78.6

130.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.71 CA$10.68

$2.08 ฿68.1

270.67%

Potato (1kg)

$4.76 CA$6.58

$1.53 ฿49.93

211.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.19

$1.48 ฿48.36

153.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.63 CA$5.03

$0.99 ฿32.29

266.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CA$1.59

$0.51 ฿16.67

125.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.61 CA$24.38

$4.41 ฿144

299.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$19.82

$19.38 ฿633

-26.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.40 CA$6.09

$1.78 ฿58.1

147.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 CA$8.97

$2.71 ฿88.6

139.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 CA$3.11

$1.37 ฿44.79

63.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 CA$77.9

$11.39 ฿372

393.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 CA$4.46

$3.02 ฿98.6

6.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 CA$1.93

$0.99 ฿32.48

40.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.28 CA$35.00

$14.10 ฿461

79.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.69

$1.36 ฿44.51

-10.29%

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

$25.2K CA$34.8K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-10.77%

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

$20.7K CA$28.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-36.98%

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

$395 CA$547

$122 ฿3,975

224.41%

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

$60.3 CA$83.5

$13.57 ฿443

344.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$110 CA$152

$18.31 ฿598

498.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 CA$103

$60.2 ฿1,967

24.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 CA$14.36

$8.69 ฿284

19.33%

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

$629 CA$871

$693 ฿22.6K

-9.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.4K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-24.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 CA$92.1

$59.5 ฿1,944

11.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.52 CA$52.0

$34.77 ฿1,136

7.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 CA$145

$115 ฿3,743

-8.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 CA$165

$83.3 ฿2,720

43.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 CA$2,080

$613 ฿20.0K

145.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 CA$1,975

$437 ฿14.3K

226.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 CA$3,401

$2,094 ฿68.4K

17.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,167 CA$3,000

$1,509 ฿49.3K

43.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,158 CA$4,373

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-15.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,906 CA$4,024

$2,616 ฿85.4K

11.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,098 CA$5,674

$508 ฿16.6K

706.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

5.33

21.20%

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

Last update for Yellowknife: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,503 in Yellowknife and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yellowknife pays 707% 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: $87.0 in Yellowknife vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 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

Yellowknife vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 134% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Yellowknife pays 707% 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: $1,503 in Yellowknife versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $629 in Yellowknife 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 53% higher in Yellowknife. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,960 in Yellowknife, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Yellowknife. 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 Yellowknife, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Yellowknife 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 134% less than in Yellowknife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.