Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nagasaki and Phuket

For one person, living costs are similar in Nagasaki and in Phuket: $1,287 and $1,278 a month, rent and utilities included.

Nagasaki, Japan
Phuket, Thailand
Nagasaki
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,287
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nagasaki and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nagasaki and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Nagasaki versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • Nagasaki $1,287
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,907 in Nagasaki versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • Nagasaki $1,907
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,527 in Nagasaki versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • Nagasaki $2,527
  • Phuket $3,154

Monthly costs are close between Nagasaki and Phuket; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nagasaki 5% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nagasaki
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.03 ¥792
$4.47 ฿151
12.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.07 ¥3,004
$32.41 ฿1,093
-41.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.10 ¥803
$8.81 ฿297
-42.11%
Cappuccino
$3.63 ¥572
$2.83 ฿95.4
28.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.04 ¥164
$0.87 ฿29.41
19.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 ¥120
$0.49 ฿16.65
55.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.16 ¥341
$2.56 ฿86.3
-15.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 ¥355
$3.68 ฿124
-38.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nagasaki
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ¥245
$1.66 ฿55.9
-6.63%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 ¥290
$1.46 ฿49.31
26.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.21 ¥979
$1.50 ฿50.5
314.00%
Eggs
$2.03 ¥320
$2.09 ฿70.5
-2.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.36 ¥1,475
$19.07 ฿643
-50.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.21 ¥506
$3.30 ฿111
-2.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.33 ¥3,045
$10.91 ฿368
77.18%
Apples (1kg)
$3.56 ¥561
$2.93 ฿98.9
21.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.83 ¥288
$1.69 ฿57.0
8.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.88 ¥453
$2.25 ฿75.8
28.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.26 ¥514
$2.08 ฿70.0
56.73%
Potato (1kg)
$2.24 ¥353
$1.51 ฿51.0
48.34%
Onion (1kg)
$2.65 ¥417
$1.38 ฿46.52
92.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.04 ¥163
$1.07 ฿35.96
-2.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 ¥152
$0.52 ฿17.51
86.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.87 ¥609
$4.20 ฿142
-7.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.50 ¥1,024
$18.79 ฿634
-65.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 ¥269
$1.82 ฿61.5
-6.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 ¥291
$2.84 ฿95.8
-34.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Nagasaki
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.27 ¥200
$1.45 ฿48.98
-12.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.4 ¥8,888
$56.7 ฿1,912
-0.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.12 ¥649
$3.02 ฿102
36.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.40 ¥378
$1.02 ฿34.33
135.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.66 ¥2,782
$3.69 ฿125
378.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 ¥170
$1.47 ฿49.76
-26.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.8K ¥3.6M
$26.8K ฿903.4K
-14.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.5K ¥2.4M
$26.7K ฿900.5K
-42.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nagasaki
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$215 ¥33.8K
$96.4 ฿3,251
122.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.77 ¥3,902
$11.26 ฿380
119.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.03 ¥5,203
$16.85 ฿568
96.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nagasaki
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ¥8,242
$67.2 ฿2,268
-22.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.73 ฿362
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.66 ¥1,995
$7.50 ฿253
68.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nagasaki
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$706 ¥111.2K
$476 ฿16.1K
48.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.4K ¥2.0M
$11.3K ฿380.0K
10.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nagasaki
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.40 ¥7,624
$62.4 ฿2,104
-22.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.87 ¥4,075
$28.41 ฿958
-8.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$67.7 ¥10.7K
$94.3 ฿3,181
-28.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$46.74 ¥7,363
$85.8 ฿2,895
-45.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nagasaki
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$550 ¥86.6K
$716 ฿24.2K
-23.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 ¥58.9K
$491 ฿16.6K
-23.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,085 ¥170.9K
$1,927 ฿65.0K
-43.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$743 ¥117.0K
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-48.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,205 ¥662.3K
$4,175 ฿140.9K
0.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,287 ¥360.3K
$3,045 ฿102.7K
-24.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nagasaki
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$502 ฿16.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.97
5.57
-64.63%

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

Last update for Nagasaki: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nagasaki
$374
Phuket
$491 31.2% $117
Groceries & Markets
Nagasaki
$279
Phuket
$266 4.5% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nagasaki
$272
Phuket
$124 54.3% $148
Eating Out
Nagasaki
$122
Phuket
$122 0.1% $0.1
Clothing & Footwear
Nagasaki
$85
Phuket
$122 43.5% $37
Getting Around
Nagasaki
$78
Phuket
$71 9.1% $7
Sport & Entertainment
Nagasaki
$78
Phuket
$82 5.9% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $550 in Nagasaki and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Nagasaki vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $279 vs $266, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Nagasaki
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
21:50 9:50 PM
19:50 7:50 PM
2 h behind Nagasaki
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
409,118
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nagasaki Phuket 4,260 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nagasaki
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,931 in Nagasaki and $1,917 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.
What is the rent difference between Nagasaki and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $550 in Nagasaki versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Nagasaki or in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Nagasaki – a meal for two runs $19 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $706 in Nagasaki versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 enough for either Nagasaki or Phuket?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Phuket gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Nagasaki or in Phuket?
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.
Which city is safer, Nagasaki or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Nagasaki and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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