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: $1,263 in Fukushima versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,991 in Fukushima versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,718 in Fukushima versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Fukushima is roughly 1% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Fukushima 5% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.90 ¥1,121

$4.55 ฿153

51.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.55 ¥5,939

$46.18 ฿1,553

-20.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 ¥1,152

$8.84 ฿297

-19.80%

Cappuccino

$3.77 ¥612

$3.06 ฿103

23.20%

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

$0.91 ¥147

$0.73 ฿24.40

24.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥132

$0.40 ฿13.39

102.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ¥425

$2.43 ฿81.8

7.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ¥498

$3.78 ฿127

-19.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥258

$2.26 ฿76.0

-29.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥251

$1.81 ฿60.9

-14.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.87 ¥792

$2.25 ฿75.8

116.44%

Eggs

$2.21 ¥359

$2.25 ฿75.5

-1.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 ¥1,659

$19.51 ฿656

-47.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.50 ¥1,057

$3.65 ฿123

78.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.38 ¥2,498

$13.05 ฿439

17.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ¥853

$3.23 ฿109

62.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 ¥411

$1.62 ฿54.4

56.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 ¥641

$2.38 ฿80.1

65.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.02 ¥977

$2.03 ฿68.1

196.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.05 ¥495

$1.53 ฿51.6

99.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ¥420

$1.50 ฿50.5

72.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ¥224

$0.98 ฿32.91

40.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥138

$0.52 ฿17.39

63.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 ¥662

$4.44 ฿149

-8.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.49 ¥1,217

$18.32 ฿616

-59.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥309

$1.86 ฿62.7

2.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ¥353

$2.68 ฿90.1

-19.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 ¥272

$1.41 ฿47.46

18.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.7 ¥8,893

$11.70 ฿393

367.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ¥567

$3.11 ฿105

12.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 ¥488

$1.04 ฿35.06

188.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.66 ¥3,356

$14.11 ฿474

46.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥200

$1.31 ฿44.10

-6.11%

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

$23.4K ¥3.8M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-15.71%

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

$17.0K ¥2.8M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-48.73%

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

$145 ¥23.6K

$122 ฿4,118

18.55%

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

$27.39 ¥4,449

$13.59 ฿457

101.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.20 ¥5,557

$18.70 ฿629

82.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 ¥9,136

$60.5 ฿2,034

-7.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.97 ¥2,270

$16.98 ฿571

-17.73%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 ¥1,989

$9.07 ฿305

34.95%

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

$285 ¥46.3K

$706 ฿23.8K

-59.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K ¥2.2M

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-13.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.31 ¥7,037

$58.6 ฿1,969

-26.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.98 ¥4,709

$35.36 ฿1,189

-18.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 ¥9,866

$115 ฿3,883

-47.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.7 ¥14.9K

$83.7 ฿2,816

9.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 ¥76.9K

$626 ฿21.0K

-24.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 ¥52.5K

$445 ฿15.0K

-27.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 ¥141.7K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-57.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 ¥104.9K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-56.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,918 ¥799.1K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

41.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 ¥378.9K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-9.49%

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 Fukushima: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $473 in Fukushima and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Fukushima vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $315 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

Fukushima vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,895 in Fukushima 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: $473 in Fukushima versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Fukushima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $37.00 in Fukushima. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,263 in Fukushima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Fukushima. 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 Fukushima, 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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Fukushima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.