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: $3,019 in Yellowknife versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,249 in Yellowknife versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,479 in Yellowknife versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Yellowknife is roughly 141% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yellowknife is 120% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.49 CA$27.08

$4.56 ฿152

327.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.1 CA$120

$32.62 ฿1,086

163.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 CA$12.33

$8.90 ฿296

-0.22%

Cappuccino

$4.37 CA$6.07

$2.80 ฿93.4

56.07%

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

$2.38 CA$3.31

$0.88 ฿29.31

170.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 CA$2.90

$0.49 ฿16.29

324.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 CA$9.30

$2.39 ฿79.5

179.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 CA$10.07

$3.71 ฿124

95.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.93 CA$4.07

$1.79 ฿59.5

63.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 CA$3.74

$1.44 ฿48.00

86.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 CA$6.51

$1.58 ฿52.8

196.84%

Eggs

$3.22 CA$4.48

$2.13 ฿70.8

51.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 CA$10.39

$19.92 ฿663

-62.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.46 CA$22.87

$3.43 ฿114

379.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 CA$22.23

$11.33 ฿377

41.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 CA$6.90

$2.95 ฿98.2

68.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 CA$2.06

$1.72 ฿57.3

-13.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.36 CA$7.45

$2.32 ฿77.4

131.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.34 CA$10.19

$2.08 ฿69.3

252.88%

Potato (1kg)

$4.62 CA$6.42

$1.47 ฿48.96

214.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.89

$1.36 ฿45.22

158.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.58 CA$4.97

$1.10 ฿36.59

225.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CA$1.54

$0.57 ฿19.13

94.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.59 CA$24.45

$4.27 ฿142

311.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.70 CA$20.43

$18.42 ฿613

-20.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.26 CA$5.92

$1.87 ฿62.3

127.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.34 CA$8.81

$2.92 ฿97.3

117.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 CA$3.08

$2.22 ฿73.9

-0.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.2 CA$75.3

$22.90 ฿762

136.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 CA$4.40

$3.03 ฿101

4.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.96

$1.07 ฿35.77

31.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿131

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 CA$1.77

$1.49 ฿49.68

-14.77%

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

$24.9K CA$34.5K

$27.1K ฿903.4K

-8.36%

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

$19.2K CA$26.7K

$27.5K ฿914.1K

-29.89%

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

$364 CA$506

$103 ฿3,423

254.13%

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

$58.5 CA$81.3

$10.99 ฿366

432.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.5 CA$138

$17.51 ฿583

468.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.1 CA$103

$53.5 ฿1,783

38.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$10.20 CA$14.17

$7.48 ฿249

36.36%

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

$599 CA$833

$557 ฿18.5K

7.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿394.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 CA$90.5

$64.1 ฿2,134

1.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.21 CA$50.3

$29.07 ฿968

24.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 CA$145

$96.0 ฿3,195

8.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$164

$90.3 ฿3,008

30.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 CA$2,027

$730 ฿24.3K

99.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 CA$1,972

$500 ฿16.6K

183.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,163 CA$3,006

$2,090 ฿69.6K

3.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 CA$2,942

$1,209 ฿40.3K

75.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,098 CA$4,305

$3,596 ฿119.7K

-13.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,840 CA$3,946

$2,512 ฿83.7K

13.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,117 CA$5,721

$503 ฿16.8K

717.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

5.57

-4.49%

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

Last update for Yellowknife: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,459 in Yellowknife and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yellowknife pays 718% 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: $86.0 in Yellowknife vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $444 vs $273 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 141% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 718% 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: $1,459 in Yellowknife versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $599 in Yellowknife versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Yellowknife. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $3,019 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 141% less than in Yellowknife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.