Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibaraki and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibaraki and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,186 in Ibaraki versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,862 in Ibaraki versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,537 in Ibaraki versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Ibaraki costs roughly 6% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ibaraki 12% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.09 ¥1,134

$4.56 ฿149

55.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.80 ¥5,566

$46.63 ฿1,519

-25.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥839

$8.47 ฿276

-38.02%

Cappuccino

$3.17 ¥507

$3.03 ฿98.6

4.62%

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

$1.05 ¥168

$0.69 ฿22.45

52.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥123

$0.37 ฿11.92

108.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ¥414

$2.49 ฿81.0

4.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ¥512

$3.66 ฿119

-12.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 ¥374

$2.18 ฿71.0

7.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥257

$1.90 ฿62.0

-15.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 ¥546

$2.20 ฿71.6

55.00%

Eggs

$2.30 ¥368

$2.22 ฿72.4

3.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ¥1,632

$19.99 ฿651

-48.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 ¥1,026

$3.66 ฿119

75.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ¥2,446

$13.25 ฿432

15.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.29 ¥846

$3.23 ฿105

63.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 ¥403

$1.70 ฿55.3

48.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 ¥657

$2.39 ฿78.0

71.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 ¥961

$2.08 ฿67.7

188.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 ¥483

$1.59 ฿51.8

89.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 ¥431

$1.48 ฿48.31

82.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ¥215

$1.03 ฿33.54

30.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥125

$0.52 ฿16.83

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ¥670

$4.25 ฿138

-1.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 ¥1,330

$18.79 ฿612

-55.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 ¥418

$1.76 ฿57.2

48.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥349

$2.76 ฿89.8

-21.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 ¥294

$1.36 ฿44.32

35.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.1 ¥8,973

$11.36 ฿370

393.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 ¥836

$3.14 ฿102

66.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 ¥468

$1.04 ฿33.74

181.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.68 ¥3,308

$13.77 ฿448

50.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥199

$1.34 ฿43.79

-6.72%

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

$23.4K ¥3.7M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-15.43%

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

$17.1K ¥2.7M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-49.58%

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

$145 ¥23.3K

$124 ฿4,025

17.65%

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

$26.69 ¥4,268

$13.52 ฿440

97.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.05 ¥5,446

$18.69 ฿609

82.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 ¥9,069

$61.8 ฿2,013

-8.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.89 ¥2,221

$17.25 ฿562

-19.48%

Cinema Ticket

$12.36 ¥1,976

$9.14 ฿298

35.23%

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

$279 ¥44.7K

$703 ฿22.9K

-60.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-16.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.50 ¥4,718

$59.5 ฿1,937

-50.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.65 ¥4,742

$35.07 ฿1,142

-15.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ¥11.5K

$115 ฿3,754

-37.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ¥13.8K

$84.1 ฿2,737

2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ¥68.8K

$619 ฿20.1K

-30.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 ¥45.6K

$433 ฿14.1K

-34.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 ¥137.6K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-58.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$571 ¥91.4K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-62.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,080 ¥652.6K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

11.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,478 ¥396.4K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-5.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,548 ¥407.5K

$507 ฿16.5K

402.50%

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 Ibaraki: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Ibaraki and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 403% 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 Ibaraki vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $293, 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

Ibaraki vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibaraki and Phuket differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,186 vs $1,261 including rent). Ibaraki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ibaraki pays 403% 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: $430 in Ibaraki versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibaraki – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,186 in Ibaraki versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ibaraki but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ibaraki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Ibaraki 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 Ibaraki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.