Cost of Living Comparison Between Nagasaki and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Nagasaki and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,178 in Nagasaki versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,884 in Nagasaki versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,590 in Nagasaki versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Nagasaki costs roughly 4% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nagasaki 12% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 ¥877

$4.63 ฿151

18.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.61 ¥3,287

$46.84 ฿1,523

-56.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ¥904

$8.84 ฿287

-35.86%

Cappuccino

$3.16 ¥504

$3.00 ฿97.4

5.33%

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

$1.08 ¥172

$0.74 ฿24.11

45.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥121

$0.37 ฿11.88

105.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 ¥392

$2.44 ฿79.3

0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 ¥381

$3.61 ฿117

-33.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ¥256

$2.26 ฿73.5

-28.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ¥202

$1.84 ฿59.8

-30.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 ¥671

$2.24 ฿73.0

87.50%

Eggs

$2.20 ¥350

$2.32 ฿75.3

-5.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 ¥1,639

$19.67 ฿639

-47.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 ¥552

$3.65 ฿119

-5.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.52 ¥3,273

$13.10 ฿426

56.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 ¥511

$3.39 ฿110

-5.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ¥220

$1.64 ฿53.4

-15.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ¥228

$2.41 ฿78.5

-40.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 ¥949

$2.03 ฿66.0

193.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 ¥431

$1.56 ฿50.6

73.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 ¥523

$1.50 ฿48.66

118.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ¥147

$1.02 ฿33.30

-9.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥84.1

$0.49 ฿15.91

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 ¥607

$4.45 ฿145

-14.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.13 ¥978

$18.88 ฿614

-67.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 ¥321

$1.78 ฿57.7

12.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥325

$2.75 ฿89.5

-25.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ¥150

$1.40 ฿45.54

-32.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 ¥18.1K

$11.48 ฿373

890.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 ¥665

$3.12 ฿101

33.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.91 ¥463

$1.00 ฿32.48

191.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.21 ¥3,065

$14.09 ฿458

36.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ¥191

$1.35 ฿43.93

-11.11%

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

$23.5K ¥3.8M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-13.44%

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

$20.0K ¥3.2M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-39.31%

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

$217 ¥34.7K

$125 ฿4,063

73.84%

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

$26.86 ¥4,285

$13.57 ฿441

97.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.27 ¥5,787

$18.52 ฿602

95.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 ¥9,005

$61.5 ฿1,999

-8.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 ¥2,243

$16.84 ฿547

-16.51%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 ¥2,172

$9.19 ฿299

48.10%

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

$265 ¥42.2K

$698 ฿22.7K

-62.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.2M

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-13.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.77 ¥6,982

$57.8 ฿1,878

-24.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.05 ¥4,795

$35.24 ฿1,146

-14.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 ¥10.4K

$113 ฿3,677

-42.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 ¥9,521

$86.4 ฿2,808

-30.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 ¥49.9K

$616 ฿20.0K

-49.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 ¥32.8K

$446 ฿14.5K

-53.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 ¥140.5K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-56.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ¥104.3K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-56.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,531 ¥722.9K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

19.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,615 ¥257.7K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-39.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

5.33

-68.67%

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

Last update for Nagasaki: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $313 in Nagasaki and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Nagasaki vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $292 per month, with Nagasaki cheaper across the board.

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

Nagasaki vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nagasaki is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,766 in Nagasaki 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: $313 in Nagasaki versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nagasaki – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,178 in Nagasaki versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nagasaki but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nagasaki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nagasaki is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nagasaki 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 Nagasaki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.