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: $1,174 in Ichikawa versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,842 in Ichikawa versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,510 in Ichikawa versus $3,317 in Phuket.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.10 ¥1,153

$4.55 ฿153

56.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.00 ¥5,686

$46.18 ฿1,553

-24.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥823

$8.84 ฿297

-42.65%

Cappuccino

$3.14 ¥510

$3.06 ฿103

2.61%

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

$1.08 ¥175

$0.73 ฿24.40

47.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥132

$0.40 ฿13.39

102.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 ¥334

$2.43 ฿81.8

-15.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥330

$3.78 ฿127

-46.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥245

$2.26 ฿76.0

-33.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 ¥280

$1.81 ฿60.9

-4.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.90 ¥797

$2.25 ฿75.8

117.78%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥255

$2.25 ฿75.5

-30.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ¥1,656

$19.51 ฿656

-47.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.17 ¥1,002

$3.65 ฿123

69.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.34 ¥2,492

$13.05 ฿439

17.55%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 ¥986

$3.23 ฿109

87.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 ¥514

$1.62 ฿54.4

95.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 ¥668

$2.38 ฿80.1

72.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 ¥730

$2.03 ฿68.1

121.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 ¥532

$1.53 ฿51.6

114.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ¥603

$1.50 ฿50.5

147.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ¥217

$0.98 ฿32.91

36.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥142

$0.52 ฿17.39

67.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 ¥666

$4.44 ฿149

-7.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.93 ¥1,126

$18.32 ฿616

-62.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥287

$1.86 ฿62.7

-5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥335

$2.68 ฿90.1

-23.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 ¥271

$1.41 ฿47.46

18.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.4 ¥9,158

$11.70 ฿393

381.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ¥566

$3.11 ฿105

12.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 ¥484

$1.04 ฿35.06

186.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.05 ¥3,583

$14.11 ฿474

56.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ¥188

$1.31 ฿44.10

-11.45%

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

$22.9K ¥3.7M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-17.53%

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

$18.9K ¥3.1M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-43.17%

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

$83.8 ¥13.6K

$122 ฿4,118

-31.59%

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

$27.90 ¥4,534

$13.59 ฿457

105.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.08 ¥2,776

$18.70 ฿629

-8.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ¥8,951

$60.5 ฿2,034

-8.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.77 ¥2,237

$16.98 ฿571

-18.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 ¥1,847

$9.07 ฿305

25.36%

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

$277 ¥45.1K

$706 ฿23.8K

-60.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K ¥2.2M

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-13.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.27 ¥6,705

$58.6 ฿1,969

-29.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.01 ¥4,876

$35.36 ฿1,189

-15.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.2 ¥9,613

$115 ฿3,883

-48.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 ¥15.6K

$83.7 ฿2,816

14.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 ¥77.1K

$626 ฿21.0K

-24.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 ¥54.3K

$445 ฿15.0K

-24.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$875 ¥142.2K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-57.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$649 ¥105.5K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-56.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,388 ¥713.0K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

26.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,365 ¥384.3K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-8.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Ichikawa and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ichikawa vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $314 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

Ichikawa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ichikawa and Phuket differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,174 vs $1,250 including rent). Ichikawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,761 in Ichikawa 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: $475 in Ichikawa versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 8% 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,174 in Ichikawa versus $1,250 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 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.