Cost of Living Comparison Between Nara and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Nara and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Nara versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,902 in Nara versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,536 in Nara versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Nara is roughly 1% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.92 ¥1,124

$4.55 ฿153

52.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.80 ¥5,654

$46.18 ฿1,553

-24.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ¥917

$8.84 ฿297

-36.09%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥507

$3.06 ฿103

1.96%

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

$1.13 ¥184

$0.73 ฿24.40

54.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥118

$0.40 ฿13.39

82.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 ¥548

$2.43 ฿81.8

38.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ¥493

$3.78 ฿127

-19.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥260

$2.26 ฿76.0

-29.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ¥231

$1.81 ฿60.9

-21.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.81 ¥782

$2.25 ฿75.8

113.78%

Eggs

$2.43 ¥395

$2.25 ฿75.5

8.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 ¥1,686

$19.51 ฿656

-46.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.47 ¥1,051

$3.65 ฿123

77.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.42 ¥3,318

$13.05 ฿439

56.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 ¥568

$3.23 ฿109

8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 ¥355

$1.62 ฿54.4

35.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 ¥424

$2.38 ฿80.1

9.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 ¥716

$2.03 ฿68.1

116.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 ¥266

$1.53 ฿51.6

7.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ¥202

$1.50 ฿50.5

-17.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ¥224

$0.98 ฿32.91

40.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥136

$0.52 ฿17.39

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.53 ¥573

$4.44 ฿149

-20.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 ¥1,469

$18.32 ฿616

-50.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥349

$1.86 ฿62.7

15.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ¥386

$2.68 ฿90.1

-11.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 ¥355

$1.41 ฿47.46

55.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.7 ¥9,049

$11.70 ฿393

376.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 ¥549

$3.11 ฿105

8.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ¥470

$1.04 ฿35.06

178.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.13 ¥2,782

$14.11 ฿474

21.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥199

$1.31 ฿44.10

-6.11%

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

$22.7K ¥3.7M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-18.33%

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

$16.8K ¥2.7M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-49.55%

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

$131 ¥21.2K

$122 ฿4,118

6.80%

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

$27.56 ¥4,478

$13.59 ฿457

102.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.79 ¥4,840

$18.70 ฿629

59.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.9 ¥13.1K

$60.5 ฿2,034

33.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.17 ¥1,327

$16.98 ฿571

-51.88%

Cinema Ticket

$12.27 ¥1,993

$9.07 ฿305

35.28%

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

$68.5 ¥11.1K

$706 ฿23.8K

-90.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ¥1.7M

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-33.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.58 ¥7,243

$58.6 ฿1,969

-23.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.03 ¥4,717

$35.36 ฿1,189

-17.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.8 ¥9,226

$115 ฿3,883

-50.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ¥14.7K

$83.7 ฿2,816

7.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 ¥70.5K

$626 ฿21.0K

-30.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 ¥60.0K

$445 ฿15.0K

-17.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥101.2K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-69.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 ¥88.7K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-63.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,685 ¥436.3K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-22.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,939 ¥315.0K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-24.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,119 ¥181.9K

$500 ฿16.8K

123.96%

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 Nara: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Nara and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nara pays 124% 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 Nara vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $303 vs $289, 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

Nara vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 124% higher in Nara, 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: $434 in Nara versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $35.00 in Nara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,269 per month in Nara versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,269 in Nara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Nara. 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 Nara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nara 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 1% less than in Nara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.