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: $2,990 in Yellowknife versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,276 in Yellowknife versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,563 in Yellowknife versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Yellowknife is roughly 139% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yellowknife is 124% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 CA$23.12

$4.55 ฿153

262.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 CA$126

$46.18 ฿1,550

94.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 CA$10.57

$8.84 ฿297

-14.71%

Cappuccino

$3.86 CA$5.41

$3.06 ฿103

26.14%

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

$2.64 CA$3.71

$0.73 ฿24.36

261.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 CA$3.10

$0.40 ฿13.37

452.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 CA$8.43

$2.43 ฿81.6

147.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.46 CA$10.45

$3.78 ฿127

97.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 CA$3.48

$2.26 ฿75.8

9.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$1.81 ฿60.8

53.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.82 CA$6.76

$2.25 ฿75.7

114.22%

Eggs

$3.28 CA$4.59

$2.25 ฿75.4

45.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 CA$10.24

$19.51 ฿655

-62.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.81 CA$23.57

$3.65 ฿122

360.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.50 CA$23.13

$13.05 ฿438

26.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 CA$6.74

$3.23 ฿109

48.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$1.62 ฿54.3

-1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 CA$7.76

$2.38 ฿80.0

132.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.67 CA$10.76

$2.03 ฿68.0

277.83%

Potato (1kg)

$4.76 CA$6.67

$1.53 ฿51.5

211.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.67 CA$5.15

$1.50 ฿50.4

144.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.45 CA$4.84

$0.98 ฿32.85

252.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CA$1.60

$0.52 ฿17.36

119.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.39 CA$24.38

$4.44 ฿149

291.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.62

$18.32 ฿615

-23.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 CA$6.03

$1.86 ฿62.6

131.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 CA$9.41

$2.68 ฿90.0

150.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 CA$3.03

$1.41 ฿47.37

53.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.6 CA$76.5

$11.70 ฿393

366.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$3.11 ฿104

4.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 CA$1.88

$1.04 ฿35.00

28.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.10 CA$36.59

$14.11 ฿474

84.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.31 ฿44.02

-6.87%

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

$24.5K CA$34.4K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

-11.80%

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

$20.1K CA$28.2K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-39.36%

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

$390 CA$547

$122 ฿4,110

218.87%

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

$60.5 CA$84.8

$13.59 ฿456

345.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$111 CA$156

$18.70 ฿628

495.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 CA$105

$60.5 ฿2,031

23.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿570

Cinema Ticket

$10.23 CA$14.34

$9.07 ฿305

12.79%

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

$609 CA$854

$706 ฿23.7K

-13.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K CA$16.8K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-24.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 CA$91.7

$58.6 ฿1,965

11.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.64 CA$51.4

$35.36 ฿1,187

3.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 CA$150

$115 ฿3,876

-7.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 CA$167

$83.7 ฿2,811

42.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 CA$2,095

$626 ฿21.0K

138.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 CA$2,019

$445 ฿14.9K

223.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,449 CA$3,434

$2,040 ฿68.5K

20.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,192 CA$3,073

$1,492 ฿50.1K

46.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,003 CA$4,210

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-13.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,799 CA$3,924

$2,577 ฿86.5K

8.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,937 CA$5,519

$500 ฿16.8K

687.61%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,494 in Yellowknife and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yellowknife pays 688% 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: $90.0 in Yellowknife vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $289 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 139% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 688% higher in Yellowknife, 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: $1,494 in Yellowknife versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $609 in Yellowknife versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Yellowknife. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,990 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 139% less than in Yellowknife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.