Cost of Living Comparison Between Ichikawa and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ichikawa and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,152 in Ichikawa versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in Ichikawa versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,515 in Ichikawa versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Ichikawa costs roughly 9% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ichikawa 14% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.78 ¥1,085

$4.70 ฿154

44.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.74 ¥5,557

$45.37 ฿1,483

-23.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 ¥830

$8.43 ฿276

-38.43%

Cappuccino

$3.19 ¥511

$2.93 ฿95.7

8.87%

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

$1.13 ¥181

$0.69 ฿22.42

63.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥122

$0.37 ฿12.00

105.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 ¥335

$2.41 ฿78.7

-12.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥335

$3.72 ฿122

-43.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥243

$2.23 ฿73.0

-31.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥281

$1.83 ฿59.9

-3.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.89 ¥782

$2.17 ฿70.9

125.35%

Eggs

$1.50 ¥240

$2.21 ฿72.4

-32.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 ¥1,615

$19.74 ฿645

-48.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 ¥1,006

$3.63 ฿119

73.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ¥2,445

$13.53 ฿442

13.01%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 ¥975

$3.28 ฿107

85.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 ¥513

$1.61 ฿52.7

99.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 ¥660

$2.41 ฿78.7

71.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 ¥746

$2.08 ฿68.1

124.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 ¥531

$1.53 ฿49.97

116.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.61 ¥577

$1.48 ฿48.41

143.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ¥220

$0.99 ฿32.32

39.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥131

$0.51 ฿16.68

60.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 ¥667

$4.41 ฿144

-5.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.41 ¥1,504

$19.38 ฿634

-51.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥278

$1.78 ฿58.1

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ¥335

$2.71 ฿88.7

-22.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 ¥255

$1.37 ฿44.83

16.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ¥8,846

$11.39 ฿372

385.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ¥557

$3.02 ฿98.7

15.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 ¥463

$0.99 ฿32.51

191.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.36 ¥3,576

$14.10 ฿461

58.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥185

$1.36 ฿44.55

-15.44%

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

$23.3K ¥3.7M

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-17.28%

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

$18.7K ¥3.0M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-43.10%

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

$83.9 ¥13.4K

$122 ฿3,978

-31.03%

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

$27.82 ¥4,450

$13.57 ฿444

105.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.43 ¥2,788

$18.31 ฿599

-4.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 ¥8,823

$60.2 ฿1,969

-8.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.98 ¥2,235

$17.14 ฿560

-18.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 ¥1,852

$8.69 ฿284

33.26%

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

$282 ¥45.2K

$693 ฿22.7K

-59.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K ¥2.2M

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-11.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.54 ¥6,644

$59.5 ฿1,946

-30.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.08 ¥4,652

$34.77 ฿1,137

-16.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.1 ¥9,608

$115 ฿3,746

-47.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.9 ¥15.5K

$83.3 ฿2,723

16.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥75.9K

$613 ฿20.0K

-22.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 ¥53.4K

$437 ฿14.3K

-23.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 ¥141.4K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-57.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$657 ¥105.1K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-56.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,958 ¥793.1K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

32.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,642 ¥422.7K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

1.02%

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 Ichikawa: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Ichikawa and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ichikawa vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 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

Ichikawa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ichikawa and Phuket differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,152 vs $1,265 including rent). Ichikawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,728 in Ichikawa 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: $474 in Ichikawa versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Ichikawa – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,152 in Ichikawa versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ichikawa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ichikawa 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, Ichikawa 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 Ichikawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.