Cost of Living Comparison Between Nagoya and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Nagoya and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Nagoya versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,135 in Nagoya versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,916 in Nagoya versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Nagoya is roughly 7% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nagoya is 1% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 ¥1,092

$4.56 ฿149

49.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.68 ¥5,547

$46.63 ฿1,519

-25.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ¥893

$8.47 ฿276

-34.00%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ¥489

$3.03 ฿98.6

0.99%

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

$1.19 ¥191

$0.69 ฿22.45

72.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥122

$0.37 ฿11.92

105.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ¥341

$2.49 ฿81.0

-14.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ¥513

$3.66 ฿119

-12.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ¥262

$2.18 ฿71.0

-24.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 ¥286

$1.90 ฿62.0

-5.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.86 ¥777

$2.20 ฿71.6

120.91%

Eggs

$2.21 ¥353

$2.22 ฿72.4

-0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 ¥1,625

$19.99 ฿651

-49.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.40 ¥1,024

$3.66 ฿119

74.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.23 ¥2,436

$13.25 ฿432

14.94%

Apples (1kg)

$9.22 ¥1,475

$3.23 ฿105

185.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 ¥458

$1.70 ฿55.3

68.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 ¥625

$2.39 ฿78.0

63.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.20 ¥992

$2.08 ฿67.7

198.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.99 ¥638

$1.59 ฿51.8

150.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ¥431

$1.48 ฿48.31

81.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ¥212

$1.03 ฿33.54

28.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 ¥223

$0.52 ฿16.83

169.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.54 ¥566

$4.25 ฿138

-16.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.35 ¥1,496

$18.79 ฿612

-50.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥291

$1.76 ฿57.2

3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥325

$2.76 ฿89.8

-26.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 ¥271

$1.36 ฿44.32

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ¥11.3K

$11.36 ฿370

521.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ¥568

$3.14 ฿102

13.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.86 ¥457

$1.04 ฿33.74

175.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.63 ¥2,819

$13.77 ฿448

28.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥188

$1.34 ฿43.79

-12.69%

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

$23.4K ¥3.7M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-15.47%

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

$17.3K ¥2.8M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-48.84%

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

$140 ¥22.3K

$124 ฿4,025

12.93%

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

$27.18 ¥4,347

$13.52 ฿440

101.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.43 ¥5,506

$18.69 ฿609

84.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 ¥9,041

$61.8 ฿2,013

-8.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.79 ¥3,004

$17.25 ฿562

8.93%

Cinema Ticket

$12.47 ¥1,994

$9.14 ฿298

36.43%

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

$467 ¥74.7K

$703 ฿22.9K

-33.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K ¥1.8M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-29.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.91 ¥7,342

$59.5 ฿1,937

-22.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.46 ¥4,712

$35.07 ฿1,142

-16.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.2 ¥8,984

$115 ฿3,754

-51.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.6 ¥14.6K

$84.1 ฿2,737

8.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 ¥95.7K

$619 ฿20.1K

-3.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 ¥66.2K

$433 ฿14.1K

-4.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 ¥211.2K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-35.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥136.3K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-43.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,538 ¥405.9K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-30.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,117 ¥178.7K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-57.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,906 ¥304.9K

$507 ฿16.5K

276.03%

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 Nagoya: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $598 in Nagoya and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nagoya pays 276% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Nagoya vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $293, 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

Nagoya vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Nagoya pays 276% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $598 in Nagoya versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 521% less than in Nagoya. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $467 in Nagoya versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,353 in Nagoya, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Nagoya. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Nagoya 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Nagoya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.