Cost of Living Comparison Between Aomori and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Aomori and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Aomori versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,949 in Aomori versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,654 in Aomori versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Aomori costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Aomori 7% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.77 ¥1,100

$4.55 ฿153

48.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.28 ¥5,569

$46.18 ฿1,553

-25.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.49 ¥892

$8.84 ฿297

-37.90%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥500

$3.06 ฿103

0.65%

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

$1.10 ¥178

$0.73 ฿24.40

50.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥125

$0.40 ฿13.39

92.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 ¥428

$2.43 ฿81.8

8.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ¥517

$3.78 ฿127

-15.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥251

$2.26 ฿76.0

-31.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥259

$1.81 ฿60.9

-12.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 ¥758

$2.25 ฿75.8

107.56%

Eggs

$2.28 ¥370

$2.25 ฿75.5

1.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 ¥1,619

$19.51 ฿656

-48.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ¥1,061

$3.65 ฿123

78.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 ¥2,547

$13.05 ฿439

20.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.51 ¥896

$3.23 ฿109

70.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 ¥413

$1.62 ฿54.4

56.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 ¥642

$2.38 ฿80.1

65.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.03 ¥980

$2.03 ฿68.1

197.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 ¥489

$1.53 ฿51.6

96.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 ¥424

$1.50 ฿50.5

74.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ¥218

$0.98 ฿32.91

36.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥135

$0.52 ฿17.39

59.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 ¥662

$4.44 ฿149

-8.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.71 ¥1,415

$18.32 ฿616

-52.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥297

$1.86 ฿62.7

-1.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥370

$2.68 ฿90.1

-15.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥259

$1.41 ฿47.46

13.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.2 ¥8,964

$11.70 ฿393

371.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ¥572

$3.11 ฿105

13.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 ¥485

$1.04 ฿35.06

186.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.14 ¥3,435

$14.11 ฿474

49.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥183

$1.31 ฿44.10

-13.74%

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

$22.9K ¥3.7M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-17.52%

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

$16.9K ¥2.7M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-49.08%

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

$144 ¥23.4K

$122 ฿4,118

17.82%

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

$27.20 ¥4,420

$13.59 ฿457

100.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.18 ¥5,553

$18.70 ฿629

82.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 ¥9,166

$60.5 ฿2,034

-6.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.91 ¥2,261

$16.98 ฿571

-18.08%

Cinema Ticket

$12.34 ¥2,006

$9.07 ฿305

36.05%

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

$283 ¥46.0K

$706 ฿23.8K

-59.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.2M

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-14.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.60 ¥6,921

$58.6 ฿1,969

-27.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.88 ¥4,693

$35.36 ฿1,189

-18.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.5 ¥9,673

$115 ฿3,883

-48.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 ¥14.9K

$83.7 ฿2,816

9.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 ¥76.3K

$626 ฿21.0K

-24.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥53.9K

$445 ฿15.0K

-25.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 ¥142.9K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-56.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ¥106.3K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-56.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,042 ¥656.7K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

16.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,855 ¥301.4K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-28.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

5.33

-66.60%

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

Last update for Aomori: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $470 in Aomori and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Aomori vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $289, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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

Aomori vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aomori and Phuket differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $1,250 including rent). Aomori is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,865 in Aomori and $1,875 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $470 in Aomori versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $283 in Aomori versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,244 in Aomori versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aomori but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Aomori the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Aomori 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 Aomori gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.