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: $1,212 in Nagasaki versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,912 in Nagasaki versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,611 in Nagasaki versus $3,310 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 10% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 ¥874

$4.56 ฿149

19.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.08 ¥3,372

$46.63 ฿1,519

-54.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.56 ¥890

$8.47 ฿276

-34.36%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥485

$3.03 ฿98.6

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

$1.04 ¥166

$0.69 ฿22.45

50.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥119

$0.37 ฿11.92

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 ¥400

$2.49 ฿81.0

0.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 ¥382

$3.66 ฿119

-34.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥248

$2.18 ฿71.0

-28.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ¥197

$1.90 ฿62.0

-35.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.05 ¥648

$2.20 ฿71.6

84.09%

Eggs

$2.22 ¥355

$2.22 ฿72.4

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ¥1,677

$19.99 ฿651

-47.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ¥557

$3.66 ฿119

-4.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.73 ¥3,315

$13.25 ฿432

56.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 ¥489

$3.23 ฿105

-5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 ¥228

$1.70 ฿55.3

-15.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ¥216

$2.39 ฿78.0

-43.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.94 ¥950

$2.08 ฿67.7

185.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 ¥450

$1.59 ฿51.8

77.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 ¥523

$1.48 ฿48.31

120.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ¥147

$1.03 ฿33.54

-10.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥84.6

$0.52 ฿16.83

1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 ¥617

$4.25 ฿138

-9.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 ¥990

$18.79 ฿612

-67.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥307

$1.76 ฿57.2

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥330

$2.76 ฿89.8

-25.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ¥162

$1.36 ฿44.32

-25.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 ¥18.3K

$11.36 ฿370

909.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 ¥644

$3.14 ฿102

28.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 ¥473

$1.04 ฿33.74

184.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.97 ¥3,193

$13.77 ฿448

45.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ¥192

$1.34 ฿43.79

-10.45%

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

$23.5K ¥3.8M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-15.05%

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

$20.3K ¥3.3M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-39.93%

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

$219 ¥35.1K

$124 ฿4,025

77.32%

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

$27.32 ¥4,370

$13.52 ฿440

102.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.23 ¥5,794

$18.69 ฿609

93.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 ¥8,843

$61.8 ฿2,013

-10.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.05 ¥2,247

$17.25 ฿562

-18.55%

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 ¥2,206

$9.14 ฿298

50.88%

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

$260 ¥41.6K

$703 ฿22.9K

-62.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K ¥2.1M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-16.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.07 ¥7,049

$59.5 ฿1,937

-25.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.14 ¥4,660

$35.07 ฿1,142

-16.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 ¥10.7K

$115 ฿3,754

-41.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 ¥9,685

$84.1 ฿2,737

-27.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$316 ¥50.5K

$619 ฿20.1K

-48.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 ¥32.7K

$433 ฿14.1K

-52.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥136.3K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-58.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 ¥106.8K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-55.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,621 ¥739.1K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

26.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,324 ¥371.7K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-11.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $316 in Nagasaki and $619 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 $274 vs $293 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 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,818 in Nagasaki and $1,892 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: $316 in Nagasaki versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 $1,212 in Nagasaki versus $1,261 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 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.