Cost of Living Comparison Between Fukuyama and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Fukuyama and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,225 in Fukuyama versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,901 in Fukuyama versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,577 in Fukuyama versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Fukuyama costs roughly 3% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Fukuyama 9% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 ¥1,687

$4.70 ฿154

124.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.33 ¥5,651

$45.37 ฿1,483

-22.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ¥898

$8.43 ฿276

-33.45%

Cappuccino

$3.37 ¥538

$2.93 ฿95.7

15.02%

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

$0.88 ¥141

$0.69 ฿22.42

27.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥120

$0.37 ฿12.00

102.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 ¥558

$2.41 ฿78.7

44.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 ¥1,057

$3.72 ฿122

77.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 ¥164

$2.23 ฿73.0

-53.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ¥141

$1.83 ฿59.9

-51.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 ¥500

$2.17 ฿70.9

44.24%

Eggs

$2.23 ¥357

$2.21 ฿72.4

0.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 ¥1,493

$19.74 ฿645

-52.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 ¥620

$3.63 ฿119

6.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 ¥2,188

$13.53 ฿442

1.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.67 ¥907

$3.28 ฿107

72.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 ¥404

$1.61 ฿52.7

57.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.34 ¥1,014

$2.41 ฿78.7

163.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 ¥636

$2.08 ฿68.1

90.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 ¥264

$1.53 ฿49.97

7.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 ¥364

$1.48 ฿48.41

53.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 ¥168

$0.99 ฿32.32

6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥69.4

$0.51 ฿16.68

-15.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ¥661

$4.41 ฿144

-6.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.53 ¥1,205

$19.38 ฿634

-61.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥274

$1.78 ฿58.1

-3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 ¥568

$2.71 ฿88.7

31.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 ¥266

$1.37 ฿44.83

21.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ¥9,002

$11.39 ฿372

394.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 ¥541

$3.02 ฿98.7

11.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 ¥537

$0.99 ฿32.51

239.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.55 ¥2,807

$14.10 ฿461

24.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥178

$1.36 ฿44.55

-18.38%

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

$13.9K ¥2.2M

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-50.56%

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

$17.3K ¥2.8M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-47.54%

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

$110 ¥17.7K

$122 ฿3,978

-9.29%

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

$20.96 ¥3,352

$13.57 ฿444

54.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 ¥5,293

$18.31 ฿599

80.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 ¥9,013

$60.2 ฿1,969

-6.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.76 ¥2,201

$17.14 ฿560

-19.72%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 ¥2,092

$8.69 ฿284

50.52%

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

$374 ¥59.8K

$693 ฿22.7K

-46.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,406 ¥1.2M

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-52.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.57 ¥6,649

$59.5 ฿1,946

-30.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.45 ¥5,510

$34.77 ฿1,137

-0.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.8 ¥11.2K

$115 ฿3,746

-39.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ¥16.5K

$83.3 ฿2,723

23.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 ¥76.1K

$613 ฿20.0K

-22.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 ¥52.6K

$437 ฿14.3K

-24.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥138.9K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-58.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 ¥106.6K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-55.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,046 ¥807.1K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

34.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,234 ¥357.3K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-14.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,360 ¥217.5K

$508 ฿16.6K

167.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-81.24%

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

Last update for Fukuyama: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Fukuyama and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fukuyama pays 168% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Fukuyama vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $293 per month, with Fukuyama 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

Fukuyama vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukuyama wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fukuyama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Fukuyama pays 168% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Fukuyama versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $374 in Fukuyama versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,225 in Fukuyama versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fukuyama but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Fukuyama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fukuyama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,225 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fukuyama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Fukuyama 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 Fukuyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.