Cost of Living Comparison Between Koriyama and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Koriyama and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,225 in Koriyama versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,909 in Koriyama versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,594 in Koriyama versus $3,317 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Koriyama 8% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.04 ¥1,143

$4.55 ฿153

54.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.70 ¥5,639

$46.18 ฿1,553

-24.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥853

$8.84 ฿297

-40.61%

Cappuccino

$3.05 ¥496

$3.06 ฿103

-0.33%

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

$1.06 ¥172

$0.73 ฿24.40

45.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥124

$0.40 ฿13.39

90.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ¥414

$2.43 ฿81.8

4.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 ¥500

$3.78 ฿127

-18.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥260

$2.26 ฿76.0

-29.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ¥255

$1.81 ฿60.9

-13.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.88 ¥793

$2.25 ฿75.8

116.89%

Eggs

$2.29 ¥371

$2.25 ฿75.5

1.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 ¥1,623

$19.51 ฿656

-48.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.51 ¥1,057

$3.65 ฿123

78.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.31 ¥2,487

$13.05 ฿439

17.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.46 ¥887

$3.23 ฿109

69.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 ¥428

$1.62 ฿54.4

62.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 ¥641

$2.38 ฿80.1

65.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 ¥952

$2.03 ฿68.1

188.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 ¥497

$1.53 ฿51.6

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ¥419

$1.50 ฿50.5

72.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ¥214

$0.98 ฿32.91

34.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥135

$0.52 ฿17.39

59.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ¥673

$4.44 ฿149

-6.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.29 ¥1,184

$18.32 ฿616

-60.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ¥302

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥366

$2.68 ฿90.1

-16.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 ¥267

$1.41 ฿47.46

16.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 ¥9,028

$11.70 ฿393

374.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 ¥555

$3.11 ฿105

9.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 ¥488

$1.04 ฿35.06

188.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.74 ¥3,370

$14.11 ฿474

46.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥193

$1.31 ฿44.10

-9.16%

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

$23.4K ¥3.8M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-15.81%

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

$17.5K ¥2.9M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-47.19%

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

$146 ¥23.7K

$122 ฿4,118

19.09%

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

$26.97 ¥4,382

$13.59 ฿457

98.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 ¥5,513

$18.70 ฿629

81.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 ¥9,011

$60.5 ฿2,034

-8.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.09 ¥2,289

$16.98 ฿571

-17.02%

Cinema Ticket

$12.44 ¥2,021

$9.07 ฿305

37.16%

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

$282 ¥45.9K

$706 ฿23.8K

-60.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K ¥2.2M

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-15.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 ¥7,060

$58.6 ฿1,969

-25.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.86 ¥4,851

$35.36 ฿1,189

-15.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 ¥9,657

$115 ฿3,883

-48.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.3 ¥15.0K

$83.7 ฿2,816

10.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 ¥77.1K

$626 ฿21.0K

-24.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 ¥52.7K

$445 ฿15.0K

-27.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 ¥141.7K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-57.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 ¥106.9K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-55.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,832 ¥785.2K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

38.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,187 ¥355.3K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-15.12%

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 Koriyama: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $35.00 in Koriyama vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $315 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

Koriyama vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koriyama and Phuket differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,225 vs $1,250 including rent). Koriyama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,837 in Koriyama 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 Koriyama versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Koriyama runs roughly 375% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $282 in Koriyama versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,225 in Koriyama versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koriyama but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Koriyama 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, Koriyama 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 Koriyama 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.