Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fukuoka and Phuket

For one person, living costs are similar in Fukuoka and in Phuket: $1,307 and $1,278 a month, rent and utilities included.

63

Cost of Living Index in Fukuoka
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Fukuoka Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Fukuoka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,307

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fukuoka and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Fukuoka and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,307 per month in Fukuoka vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Fukuoka $1,307
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $2,031 per month in Fukuoka vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Fukuoka $2,031
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $2,754 per month in Fukuoka vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Fukuoka $2,754
Phuket $3,154

Fukuoka and Phuket have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Fukuoka and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Fukuoka 4% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 ¥1,158

$4.47 ฿151

63.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.83 ¥6,920

$32.41 ฿1,094

35.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.97 ¥942

$8.81 ฿297

-32.24%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ¥587

$2.83 ฿95.5

31.45%

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

$1.06 ¥167

$0.87 ฿29.43

21.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥118

$0.49 ฿16.67

53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 ¥608

$2.56 ฿86.4

50.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ¥340

$3.68 ฿124

-41.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥245

$1.66 ฿56.0

-6.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ¥288

$1.46 ฿49.35

25.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.43 ¥1,015

$1.50 ฿50.6

328.67%

Eggs

$2.30 ¥364

$2.09 ฿70.5

10.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.19 ¥2,872

$19.07 ฿644

-4.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 ¥843

$3.30 ฿111

61.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.96 ¥2,994

$10.91 ฿368

73.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 ¥572

$2.93 ฿99.0

23.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ¥293

$1.69 ฿57.1

9.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 ¥446

$2.25 ฿75.8

25.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥526

$2.08 ฿70.1

60.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 ¥339

$1.51 ฿51.0

42.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ¥409

$1.38 ฿46.56

87.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ¥162

$1.07 ฿35.99

-3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥154

$0.52 ฿17.52

88.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 ¥628

$4.20 ฿142

-5.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.41 ¥1,012

$18.79 ฿634

-65.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥270

$1.82 ฿61.5

-6.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥303

$2.84 ฿95.9

-32.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ¥204

$1.45 ฿49.03

-11.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ¥8,352

$56.7 ฿1,913

-6.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 ¥649

$3.02 ฿102

36.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.39 ¥377

$1.02 ฿34.36

134.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.92 ¥2,830

$3.69 ฿125

385.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥174

$1.47 ฿49.81

-25.17%

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

$22.2K ¥3.5M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-17.20%

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

$15.0K ¥2.4M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-43.69%

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

$215 ¥33.9K

$96.4 ฿3,254

123.18%

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

$25.33 ¥4,000

$11.26 ฿380

124.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.10 ¥5,384

$16.85 ฿569

102.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.11 ¥7,597

$67.2 ฿2,270

-28.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 ¥1,990

$7.50 ฿253

68.13%

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

$702 ¥110.9K

$476 ฿16.1K

47.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ¥2.0M

$11.3K ฿380.4K

9.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.84 ¥7,712

$62.4 ฿2,106

-21.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.49 ¥4,182

$28.41 ฿959

-6.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.8 ¥10.4K

$94.3 ฿3,184

-30.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.48 ¥7,497

$85.8 ฿2,898

-44.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥82.6K

$716 ฿24.2K

-26.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥52.4K

$491 ฿16.6K

-32.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 ¥185.2K

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-39.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 ¥112.0K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-50.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,674 ¥737.9K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

11.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,568 ¥405.5K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-15.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,647 ¥260.1K

$502 ฿17.0K

227.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.97

5.57

-64.63%

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

Last update for Fukuoka: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Fukuoka

$332 25.4%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 48% $159

Groceries & Markets

Fukuoka

$317 24.2%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 15.9% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fukuoka

$274 21%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 54.6% $150

Eating Out

Fukuoka

$152 11.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 19.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Fukuoka

$85 6.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 43.6% $37

Getting Around

Fukuoka

$74 5.7%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 4.8% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Fukuoka

$73 5.6%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 12.1% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $523 in Fukuoka versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Fukuoka are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Fukuoka versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $317 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Fukuoka

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:48 5:48 AM

03:48 3:48 AM

2 h behind Fukuoka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,612,392

79,308

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fukuoka Phuket 4,350 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Fukuoka
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Fukuoka vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,961 per month in Fukuoka and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fukuoka, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $523 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Fukuoka, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $702 per month in Fukuoka and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,307 in Fukuoka and $1,278 in Phuket, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,278 versus $1,307 in Fukuoka. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fukuoka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.