Cost of Living Comparison Between Ichihara and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ichihara and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,183 in Ichihara versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,881 in Ichihara versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,579 in Ichihara versus $3,329 in Phuket.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.13 ¥1,141

$4.70 ฿154

51.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.72 ¥5,553

$45.37 ฿1,483

-23.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥814

$8.43 ฿276

-39.62%

Cappuccino

$3.19 ¥511

$2.93 ฿95.7

8.87%

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

$1.14 ¥183

$0.69 ฿22.42

65.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥129

$0.37 ฿12.00

116.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 ¥335

$2.41 ฿78.7

-13.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥326

$3.72 ฿122

-45.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 ¥245

$2.23 ฿73.0

-31.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥280

$1.83 ฿59.9

-4.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.94 ¥791

$2.17 ฿70.9

127.65%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥250

$2.21 ฿72.4

-29.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 ¥1,609

$19.74 ฿645

-49.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 ¥985

$3.63 ฿119

69.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 ¥2,457

$13.53 ฿442

13.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 ¥951

$3.28 ฿107

81.40%

Banana (1kg)

$3.20 ¥512

$1.61 ฿52.7

98.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 ¥628

$2.41 ฿78.7

62.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 ¥736

$2.08 ฿68.1

121.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 ¥542

$1.53 ฿49.97

121.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.67 ¥588

$1.48 ฿48.41

147.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ¥215

$0.99 ฿32.32

35.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥130

$0.51 ฿16.68

58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 ¥646

$4.41 ฿144

-8.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.06 ¥1,289

$19.38 ฿634

-58.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥279

$1.78 ฿58.1

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥326

$2.71 ฿88.7

-24.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 ¥264

$1.37 ฿44.83

20.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.1 ¥8,973

$11.39 ฿372

392.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 ¥544

$3.02 ฿98.7

12.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ¥464

$0.99 ฿32.51

192.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.90 ¥3,503

$14.10 ฿461

55.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥182

$1.36 ฿44.55

-16.18%

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

$23.5K ¥3.8M

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-16.68%

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

$18.4K ¥2.9M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-44.04%

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

$84.6 ¥13.5K

$122 ฿3,978

-30.48%

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

$27.72 ¥4,434

$13.57 ฿444

104.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.12 ¥2,739

$18.31 ฿599

-6.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 ¥8,936

$60.2 ฿1,969

-7.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.69 ¥2,189

$17.14 ฿560

-20.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.24 ¥1,797

$8.69 ฿284

29.34%

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

$287 ¥45.8K

$693 ฿22.7K

-58.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K ¥2.2M

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-11.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.33 ¥6,610

$59.5 ฿1,946

-30.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.30 ¥4,687

$34.77 ฿1,137

-15.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.3 ¥9,479

$115 ฿3,746

-48.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 ¥15.7K

$83.3 ฿2,723

18.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ¥73.5K

$613 ฿20.0K

-25.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 ¥51.8K

$437 ฿14.3K

-25.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 ¥138.8K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-58.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 ¥105.6K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-56.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,257 ¥840.8K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

40.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,054 ¥328.5K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-21.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-62.48%

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

Last update for Ichihara: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $459 in Ichihara and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ichihara vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $315 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

Ichihara vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ichihara is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,775 in Ichihara and $1,898 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: $459 in Ichihara versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $287 in Ichihara versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,183 in Ichihara versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ichihara but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ichihara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ichihara 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, Ichihara 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 Ichihara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.