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: $1,383 in Nagoya versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,191 in Nagoya versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Nagoya versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Nagoya is roughly 12% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nagoya is 1% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.52 ¥1,330

$4.41 ฿147

93.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.95 ¥5,146

$32.26 ฿1,073

2.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥791

$8.93 ฿297

-43.23%

Cappuccino

$2.55 ¥399

$2.90 ฿96.3

-12.07%

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

$1.32 ¥207

$0.88 ฿29.27

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥142

$0.48 ฿16.00

89.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 ¥498

$2.35 ฿78.2

35.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 ¥508

$3.72 ฿124

-12.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥249

$1.87 ฿62.0

-14.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ¥240

$1.47 ฿48.75

4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 ¥664

$1.55 ฿51.6

174.19%

Eggs

$2.19 ¥341

$2.10 ฿69.9

4.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.44 ¥2,567

$19.59 ฿651

-16.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.32 ¥1,143

$3.42 ฿114

114.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.32 ¥2,704

$11.38 ฿378

52.20%

Apples (1kg)

$8.41 ¥1,314

$2.98 ฿99.2

182.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 ¥489

$1.68 ฿56.0

86.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.02 ¥784

$2.21 ฿73.5

127.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.91 ¥1,236

$2.16 ฿71.9

266.20%

Potato (1kg)

$4.20 ¥656

$1.52 ฿50.7

176.32%

Onion (1kg)

$4.80 ¥749

$1.34 ฿44.49

258.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ¥181

$1.13 ฿37.53

2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥147

$0.55 ฿18.17

70.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 ¥618

$4.26 ฿142

-7.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.86 ¥1,540

$19.09 ฿635

-48.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 ¥400

$1.78 ฿59.2

43.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ¥343

$2.78 ฿92.5

-20.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥251

$2.23 ฿74.1

-28.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.4 ¥14.6K

$22.74 ฿756

310.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 ¥518

$3.03 ฿101

9.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.97 ¥464

$1.02 ฿34.02

191.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.97 ¥2,495

$3.89 ฿129

310.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ¥169

$1.49 ฿49.57

-27.52%

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

$22.4K ¥3.5M

$26.6K ฿883.8K

-15.60%

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

$15.6K ¥2.4M

$27.0K ฿898.7K

-42.11%

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

$117 ¥18.2K

$102 ฿3,407

13.74%

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

$24.27 ¥3,791

$11.33 ฿377

114.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.71 ¥4,952

$17.40 ฿578

82.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 ¥8,197

$52.1 ฿1,732

0.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.20 ¥2,218

$11.07 ฿368

28.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 ¥1,806

$7.69 ฿256

50.46%

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

$584 ¥91.3K

$561 ฿18.6K

4.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K ¥2.4M

$11.5K ฿382.6K

32.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 ¥8,199

$63.0 ฿2,096

-16.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.05 ¥5,630

$29.52 ฿982

22.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.9 ¥9,669

$98.0 ฿3,259

-36.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 ¥15.6K

$88.5 ฿2,943

12.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 ¥83.5K

$738 ฿24.5K

-27.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 ¥57.0K

$482 ฿16.0K

-24.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 ¥191.7K

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-41.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 ¥116.1K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-39.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,073 ¥323.8K

$3,617 ฿120.3K

-42.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,088 ¥169.9K

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-58.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,006 ¥313.3K

$494 ฿16.4K

306.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.66

5.57

-70.20%

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

Last update for Nagoya: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $535 in Nagoya and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nagoya pays 306% 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: $33.00 in Nagoya vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 vs $274 per month, with Phuket 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

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 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 306% higher in Nagoya, 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: $535 in Nagoya versus $738 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 311% less than in Nagoya. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $584 in Nagoya versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,383 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 12% less than in Nagoya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.