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: $1,202 in Ichikawa versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,907 in Ichikawa versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,611 in Ichikawa versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Ichikawa costs roughly 2% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ichikawa 12% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.10 ¥796

$4.41 ฿147

15.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.07 ¥5,009

$32.26 ฿1,073

-0.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 ¥717

$8.93 ฿297

-48.60%

Cappuccino

$2.23 ¥349

$2.90 ฿96.3

-23.10%

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

$0.68 ¥106

$0.88 ฿29.27

-22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ¥57.1

$0.48 ฿16.00

-22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ¥400

$2.35 ฿78.2

8.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 ¥502

$3.72 ฿124

-13.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ¥223

$1.87 ฿62.0

-23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥274

$1.47 ฿48.75

19.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 ¥591

$1.55 ฿51.6

143.87%

Eggs

$2.15 ¥336

$2.10 ฿69.9

2.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.11 ¥1,891

$19.59 ฿651

-38.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ¥965

$3.42 ฿114

80.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 ¥2,324

$11.38 ฿378

30.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.98 ¥934

$2.98 ฿99.2

100.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 ¥433

$1.68 ฿56.0

64.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 ¥463

$2.21 ฿73.5

34.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 ¥654

$2.16 ฿71.9

93.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 ¥422

$1.52 ฿50.7

77.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 ¥426

$1.34 ฿44.49

103.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ¥199

$1.13 ฿37.53

12.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥127

$0.55 ฿18.17

49.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥625

$4.26 ฿142

-6.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.41 ¥1,002

$19.09 ฿635

-66.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥292

$1.78 ฿59.2

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ¥327

$2.78 ฿92.5

-24.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 ¥257

$2.23 ฿74.1

-26.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.7 ¥9,632

$22.74 ฿756

171.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 ¥511

$3.03 ฿101

7.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.55 ¥399

$1.02 ฿34.02

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.99 ¥3,278

$3.89 ฿129

439.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥173

$1.49 ฿49.57

-25.50%

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

$21.8K ¥3.4M

$26.6K ฿883.8K

-18.00%

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

$19.0K ¥3.0M

$27.0K ฿898.7K

-29.74%

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

$134 ¥20.9K

$102 ฿3,407

30.84%

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

$25.33 ¥3,955

$11.33 ฿377

123.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 ¥5,044

$17.40 ฿578

85.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.0 ¥9,210

$52.1 ฿1,732

13.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$12.83 ¥2,004

$7.69 ฿256

66.84%

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

$635 ¥99.2K

$561 ฿18.6K

13.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥2.3M

$11.5K ฿382.6K

28.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 ¥10.2K

$63.0 ฿2,096

3.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.70 ¥5,262

$29.52 ฿982

14.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.1 ¥9,691

$98.0 ฿3,259

-36.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥16.3K

$88.5 ฿2,943

18.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$462 ¥72.1K

$738 ฿24.5K

-37.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 ¥50.8K

$482 ฿16.0K

-32.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 ¥159.9K

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-51.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 ¥119.7K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-37.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,753 ¥586.0K

$3,617 ฿120.3K

3.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,897 ¥296.3K

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-27.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.12

5.57

-61.94%

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

Last update for Ichikawa: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $462 in Ichikawa and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ichikawa vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $274, 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 2% in total monthly costs ($1,202 vs $1,232 including rent). Ichikawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,803 in Ichikawa and $1,847 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: $462 in Ichikawa versus $738 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 Ichikawa – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,202 in Ichikawa versus $1,232 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 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.