🙂A single person spends $1,245 per month in Ichinomiya vs $1,250 in Phuket, rent included.
🙂A couple spends around $1,931 per month in Ichinomiya vs $2,284 in Phuket, rent included.
🙂A family of three spends $2,618 per month in Ichinomiya vs $3,317 in Phuket, rent included.
🙂Ichinomiya and Phuket have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.
📊Both Ichinomiya and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Ichinomiya7% lower, Phuket6% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ichinomiya
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.02¥1,141
$4.55฿153
54.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.99¥5,522
$46.18฿1,553
-26.40%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$5.35¥869
$8.84฿297
-39.48%
Cappuccino
$3.08¥501
$3.06฿103
0.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10¥178
$0.73฿24.40
50.68%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76¥123
$0.40฿13.39
90.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.67¥434
$2.43฿81.8
9.88%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08¥501
$3.78฿127
-18.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ichinomiya
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.60¥259
$2.26฿76.0
-29.20%
White Bread(500g)
$1.58¥257
$1.81฿60.9
-12.71%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$4.79¥778
$2.25฿75.8
112.89%
Eggs
$2.32¥377
$2.25฿75.5
3.11%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.02¥1,629
$19.51฿656
-48.64%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.47¥1,052
$3.65฿123
77.26%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$15.58¥2,531
$13.05฿439
19.39%
Apples(1kg)
$5.41¥878
$3.23฿109
67.49%
Banana(1kg)
$2.56¥417
$1.62฿54.4
58.02%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.12¥669
$2.38฿80.1
73.11%
Tomato(1kg)
$5.72¥930
$2.03฿68.1
181.77%
Potato(1kg)
$3.03¥493
$1.53฿51.6
98.04%
Onion(1kg)
$2.68¥435
$1.50฿50.5
78.67%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.39¥226
$0.98฿32.91
41.84%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82¥133
$0.52฿17.39
57.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.25¥690
$4.44฿149
-4.28%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.16¥1,326
$18.32฿616
-55.46%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.85¥301
$1.86฿62.7
-0.54%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27¥369
$2.68฿90.1
-15.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Ichinomiya
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.67¥272
$1.41฿47.46
18.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$55.9¥9,082
$11.70฿393
377.78%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.53¥573
$3.11฿105
13.50%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$3.01¥489
$1.04฿35.06
189.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$21.02¥3,415
$14.11฿474
48.97%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.18¥192
$1.31฿44.10
-9.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.2K¥3.8M
$27.8K฿935.4K
-16.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.5K¥2.8M
$33.2K฿1.1M
-47.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ichinomiya
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$146¥23.7K
$122฿4,118
19.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.50¥4,468
$13.59฿457
102.35%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.08¥5,537
$18.70฿629
82.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ichinomiya
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$55.5¥9,014
$60.5฿2,034
-8.28%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.93¥2,263
$16.98฿571
-17.96%
Cinema Ticket
$12.52¥2,035
$9.07฿305
38.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ichinomiya
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$283¥45.9K
$706฿23.8K
-60.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$13.5K¥2.2M
$15.8K฿531.5K
-14.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ichinomiya
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.60¥6,921
$58.6฿1,969
-27.24%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.04¥4,881
$35.36฿1,189
-15.05%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$58.9¥9,564
$115฿3,883
-49.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.4¥15.2K
$83.7฿2,816
11.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ichinomiya
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$460¥74.7K
$626฿21.0K
-26.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$326¥53.0K
$445฿15.0K
-26.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$881¥143.1K
$2,040฿68.6K
-56.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$671¥109.0K
$1,492฿50.2K
-55.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,248¥690.2K
$3,483฿117.1K
21.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,113¥343.3K
$2,577฿86.7K
-17.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ichinomiya
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$500฿16.8K
-
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 Ichinomiya: July 13, 2026
Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $460 in Ichinomiya versus $626 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.
🛒A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Ichinomiya versus $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $317 in Ichinomiya vs $289 in Phuket – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.
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
Ichinomiya vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,867 per month in Ichinomiya and $1,875 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ichinomiya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Ichinomiya and in Phuket?
Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Phuket – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $283 per month in Ichinomiya and $706 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ichinomiya or in Phuket?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ichinomiya, where all-in costs run around $1,245, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Ichinomiya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ichinomiya or Phuket more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Ichinomiya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Ichinomiya or Phuket?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ichinomiya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.
Ichinomiya vs other spots: cost of living compared