Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nago, Okinawa and Phuket

For one person, living costs are similar in Nago, Okinawa and in Phuket: $1,231 and $1,208 a month, rent and utilities included.

60

Cost of Living Index in Nago, Okinawa
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Nago, Okinawa Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Nago, Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,231

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nago, Okinawa 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 Nago, Okinawa and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,231 per month in Nago, Okinawa vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Nago, Okinawa $1,231
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $1,923 per month in Nago, Okinawa vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Nago, Okinawa $1,923
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $2,614 per month in Nago, Okinawa vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Nago, Okinawa $2,614
Phuket $2,845

Nago, Okinawa costs about 2% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nago, Okinawa and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Nago, Okinawa 9% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.82 ¥1,077

$4.40 ฿147

55.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.35 ¥5,586

$32.26 ฿1,078

9.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 ¥898

$8.76 ฿293

-35.16%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥479

$2.83 ฿94.5

7.07%

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

$1.10 ¥173

$0.90 ฿30.14

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥121

$0.47 ฿15.56

61.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 ¥332

$2.55 ฿85.2

-17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ¥482

$3.83 ฿128

-20.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥239

$1.73 ฿57.7

-12.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥259

$1.47 ฿49.11

11.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 ¥738

$1.51 ฿50.6

209.27%

Eggs

$2.28 ¥361

$2.17 ฿72.7

5.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 ¥1,601

$19.70 ฿658

-48.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.15 ¥971

$3.34 ฿112

84.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.49 ¥2,448

$11.16 ฿373

38.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.36 ¥847

$2.85 ฿95.1

88.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 ¥402

$1.70 ฿56.9

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 ¥652

$2.19 ฿73.3

88.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 ¥716

$2.05 ฿68.4

120.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 ¥511

$1.45 ฿48.57

123.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$1.38 ฿46.16

85.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ¥217

$1.07 ฿35.69

28.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥140

$0.51 ฿16.91

72.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ¥674

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$6.50 ¥1,027

$18.58 ฿621

-65.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 ¥302

$1.78 ฿59.7

7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ¥375

$2.85 ฿95.2

-16.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 ¥250

$2.26 ฿75.6

-30.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.0 ¥8,840

$22.10 ฿738

153.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 ¥542

$3.01 ฿101

13.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 ¥454

$1.06 ฿35.34

170.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.07 ¥3,329

$3.86 ฿129

445.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥194

$1.45 ฿48.45

-15.17%

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

$23.5K ¥3.7M

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-10.76%

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

$16.9K ¥2.7M

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-37.44%

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

$139 ¥21.9K

$96.4 ฿3,221

43.88%

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

$27.18 ¥4,294

$11.04 ฿369

146.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.51 ¥5,452

$17.14 ฿573

101.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 ¥9,012

$52.2 ฿1,744

9.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.97 ¥2,207

$11.16 ฿373

25.18%

Cinema Ticket

$13.04 ¥2,061

$7.81 ฿261

66.97%

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

$285 ¥45.0K

$556 ฿18.6K

-48.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.1M

$11.6K ฿387.0K

16.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.95 ¥6,944

$64.2 ฿2,146

-31.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.96 ¥4,575

$28.69 ฿959

0.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.0 ¥9,328

$95.4 ฿3,187

-38.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.2 ¥14.6K

$88.0 ฿2,940

4.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ¥72.8K

$737 ฿24.6K

-37.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ¥51.9K

$462 ฿15.5K

-28.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 ¥138.6K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-58.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ¥104.1K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-45.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 ¥446.5K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-18.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,726 ¥272.6K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-31.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.81

5.57

-67.50%

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

Last update for Nago, Okinawa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nago, Okinawa

$328 26.7%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 40.8% $134

Groceries & Markets

Nago, Okinawa

$306 24.9%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 12.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nago, Okinawa

$200 16.3%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 37.8% $76

Eating Out

Nago, Okinawa

$132 10.7%

Phuket

$121 10% 8.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Nago, Okinawa

$101 8.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 23.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Nago, Okinawa

$83 6.8%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 18.5% $15

Getting Around

Nago, Okinawa

$80 6.5%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 50.7% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $461 in Nago, Okinawa versus $737 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 $35.00 in Nago, Okinawa versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $306 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Nago, Okinawa

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

20:38 8:38 PM

18:38 6:38 PM

2 h behind Nago, Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,554

79,308

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nago, Okinawa Phuket 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nago, Okinawa
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

Nago, Okinawa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nago, Okinawa is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Nago, Okinawa and $1,813 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 153% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $285 per month in Nago, Okinawa and $556 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Nago, Okinawa at $1,231. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nago, Okinawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nago, Okinawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.