Cost of Living Comparison Between Fukushima and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Fukushima and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,229 in Fukushima versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,935 in Fukushima versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,641 in Fukushima versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Monthly costs are close between Fukushima and Phuket; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Fukushima 10% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 ¥1,018

$4.41 ฿147

47.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.03 ¥5,154

$32.26 ฿1,077

2.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥797

$8.93 ฿298

-42.78%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥486

$2.90 ฿96.6

7.59%

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

$1.19 ¥185

$0.88 ฿29.38

35.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥119

$0.48 ฿16.06

58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ¥425

$2.35 ฿78.5

16.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ¥505

$3.72 ฿124

-12.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ¥267

$1.87 ฿62.3

-8.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 ¥237

$1.47 ฿48.94

3.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 ¥653

$1.55 ฿51.8

169.68%

Eggs

$1.83 ¥285

$2.10 ฿70.1

-12.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 ¥1,557

$19.59 ฿654

-49.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ¥965

$3.42 ฿114

80.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 ¥2,657

$11.38 ฿380

49.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 ¥798

$2.98 ฿99.6

71.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 ¥347

$1.68 ฿56.2

32.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 ¥423

$2.21 ฿73.7

22.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 ¥739

$2.16 ฿72.1

119.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 ¥423

$1.52 ฿50.9

78.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥399

$1.34 ฿44.67

91.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ¥175

$1.13 ฿37.67

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥121

$0.55 ฿18.24

41.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥533

$4.26 ฿142

-19.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 ¥1,284

$19.09 ฿637

-56.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥272

$1.78 ฿59.4

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ¥380

$2.78 ฿92.9

-12.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 ¥232

$2.23 ฿74.4

-33.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.9 ¥8,095

$22.74 ฿759

128.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ¥482

$3.03 ฿101

1.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 ¥394

$1.02 ฿34.15

147.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.69 ¥3,073

$3.89 ฿130

406.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥192

$1.49 ฿49.77

-17.45%

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

$20.5K ¥3.2M

$26.6K ฿887.3K

-22.81%

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

$13.3K ¥2.1M

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-50.82%

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

$155 ¥24.2K

$102 ฿3,420

51.50%

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

$26.94 ¥4,204

$11.33 ฿378

137.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.11 ¥5,635

$17.40 ฿581

107.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 ¥8,713

$52.1 ฿1,738

7.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$13.90 ¥2,169

$7.69 ฿257

80.75%

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

$515 ¥80.4K

$561 ฿18.7K

-8.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ¥1.9M

$11.5K ฿384.1K

7.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.34 ¥7,386

$63.0 ฿2,104

-24.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.39 ¥5,833

$29.52 ฿986

26.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.7 ¥9,938

$98.0 ฿3,272

-35.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 ¥15.5K

$88.5 ฿2,954

12.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 ¥79.1K

$738 ฿24.6K

-31.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥51.8K

$482 ฿16.1K

-31.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 ¥182.4K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-44.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$795 ¥124.0K

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-35.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 ¥626.6K

$3,617 ฿120.7K

11.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,035 ¥317.6K

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-21.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

5.57

-62.48%

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

Last update for Fukushima: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $507 in Fukushima and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Fukushima vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $274 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

Fukushima vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $1,843 in Fukushima and $1,847 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: $507 in Fukushima versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $515 in Fukushima versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Fukushima – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,229 in Fukushima versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fukushima but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Fukushima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fukushima is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Fukushima 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.

It comes down to priorities – Fukushima wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.