Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fukushima and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukushima: $1,179 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

57

Cost of Living Index in Fukushima
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Fukushima Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Fukushima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,179

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fukushima 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 Fukushima and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,179 in Fukushima versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Fukushima $1,179
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,896 in Fukushima versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Fukushima $1,896
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,613 in Fukushima versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Fukushima $2,613
Phuket $3,115

Living in Fukushima costs roughly 9% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Fukushima 13% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.97 ¥946

$4.39 ฿147

35.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.63 ¥4,694

$32.31 ฿1,078

-8.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.37 ¥692

$8.70 ฿290

-49.77%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ¥391

$2.72 ฿90.9

-9.19%

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

$0.97 ¥153

$0.93 ฿31.06

4.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 ¥105

$0.50 ฿16.67

34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 ¥409

$2.53 ฿84.5

1.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ¥504

$3.63 ฿121

-12.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥240

$1.74 ฿58.1

-13.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 ¥243

$1.45 ฿48.42

5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 ¥650

$1.50 ฿50.1

173.33%

Eggs

$2.09 ¥330

$2.17 ฿72.5

-3.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.23 ¥1,620

$19.09 ฿637

-46.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.50 ¥1,029

$3.40 ฿113

91.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.13 ¥2,713

$10.90 ฿364

57.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 ¥588

$2.94 ฿98.2

26.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 ¥353

$1.69 ฿56.5

31.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 ¥467

$2.19 ฿73.2

34.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 ¥648

$2.12 ฿70.9

92.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 ¥376

$1.46 ฿48.68

63.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 ¥392

$1.37 ฿45.66

81.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ¥210

$1.08 ฿35.91

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥132

$0.55 ฿18.21

50.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥632

$4.43 ฿148

-9.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.55 ¥1,037

$18.25 ฿609

-64.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 ¥298

$1.77 ฿59.2

6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥341

$2.88 ฿96.2

-25.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 ¥241

$1.45 ฿48.32

4.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.4 ¥9,251

$54.9 ฿1,832

6.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 ¥565

$1.51 ฿50.5

135.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 ¥469

$0.78 ฿25.90

279.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.07 ¥3,653

$3.84 ฿128

500.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ¥192

$1.49 ฿49.65

-18.79%

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

$22.4K ¥3.5M

$26.9K ฿897.3K

-16.79%

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

$15.0K ¥2.4M

$26.3K ฿879.4K

-43.21%

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

$125 ¥19.7K

$97.8 ฿3,265

27.48%

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

$21.80 ¥3,453

$11.29 ฿377

93.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.57 ¥5,158

$17.19 ฿574

89.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 ¥8,105

$68.3 ฿2,281

-25.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 ¥1,821

$7.43 ฿248

54.78%

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

$692 ¥109.6K

$530 ฿17.7K

30.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K ¥2.9M

$18.8K ฿626.9K

-2.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 ¥8,313

$61.7 ฿2,059

-14.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.18 ¥5,413

$28.25 ฿943

20.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 ¥10.7K

$96.0 ฿3,204

-29.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 ¥12.2K

$86.8 ฿2,898

-11.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 ¥88.0K

$721 ฿24.1K

-22.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 ¥52.9K

$509 ฿17.0K

-34.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 ¥154.1K

$1,950 ฿65.1K

-50.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$808 ¥128.0K

$1,397 ฿46.6K

-42.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,329 ¥685.7K

$4,192 ฿139.9K

3.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,479 ¥392.7K

$3,298 ฿110.1K

-24.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

5.57

-60.32%

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

Last update for Fukushima: November 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fukushima

$334 28.3%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 52.4% $175

Groceries & Markets

Fukushima

$288 24.5%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 7.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fukushima

$179 15.2%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 29.5% $53

Eating Out

Fukushima

$116 9.9%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 2.8% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

Fukushima

$104 8.8%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 18% $19

Getting Around

Fukushima

$83 7%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 20.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Fukushima

$74 6.3%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 12.1% $9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $556 in Fukushima and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30 in Fukushima vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $267, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Fukushima

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

10:07 10:07 AM

08:07 8:07 AM

2 h behind Fukushima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

282,693

79,308

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.62 EUR

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.62 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Fukushima vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukushima is about 9% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,768 in Fukushima and $1,940 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: $556 in Fukushima versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Fukushima – a meal for two runs $30 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Fukushima gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Fukushima and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.