Cost of Living Comparison Between Narita and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Narita and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,268 in Narita versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,951 in Narita versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,635 in Narita versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Monthly costs are close between Narita and Phuket; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.65 ¥891

$4.48 ฿150

26.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.07 ¥6,471

$45.59 ฿1,521

-9.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 ¥781

$8.76 ฿292

-43.49%

Cappuccino

$3.19 ¥503

$2.97 ฿99.0

7.41%

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

$0.80 ¥127

$0.69 ฿22.90

15.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥120

$0.39 ฿13.04

94.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ¥337

$2.53 ฿84.4

-15.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ¥480

$3.75 ฿125

-18.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥194

$2.15 ฿71.6

-42.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ¥139

$1.82 ฿60.6

-51.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.04 ¥794

$2.18 ฿72.9

131.19%

Eggs

$2.29 ¥360

$2.25 ฿75.0

1.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 ¥1,618

$20.00 ฿667

-48.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 ¥975

$3.63 ฿121

70.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 ¥2,399

$13.56 ฿452

12.24%

Apples (1kg)

$6.05 ¥953

$3.24 ฿108

86.73%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 ¥493

$1.64 ฿54.6

90.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 ¥616

$2.33 ฿77.8

67.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.13 ¥965

$2.07 ฿69.1

196.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 ¥526

$1.55 ฿51.6

115.48%

Onion (1kg)

$4.19 ¥661

$1.46 ฿48.54

186.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥217

$0.98 ฿32.86

39.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$0.48 ฿16.09

83.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ¥509

$4.35 ฿145

-25.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 ¥1,421

$18.57 ฿620

-51.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ¥290

$1.86 ฿61.9

-1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥332

$2.65 ฿88.6

-20.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 ¥262

$1.42 ฿47.28

16.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 ¥8,762

$11.57 ฿386

380.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 ¥544

$3.17 ฿106

8.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ¥254

$1.03 ฿34.41

56.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.48 ¥3,542

$13.89 ฿463

61.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥176

$1.34 ฿44.84

-16.42%

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

$20.6K ¥3.2M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-25.96%

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

$18.4K ¥2.9M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-45.02%

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

$144 ¥22.8K

$123 ฿4,105

17.42%

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

$27.91 ¥4,397

$13.77 ฿459

102.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.60 ¥4,980

$18.33 ฿611

72.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 ¥8,764

$60.7 ฿2,025

-8.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.09 ¥2,220

$17.16 ฿573

-17.89%

Cinema Ticket

$12.42 ¥1,956

$8.87 ฿296

40.02%

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

$287 ¥45.2K

$688 ฿22.9K

-58.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K ¥2.2M

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-10.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.25 ¥6,658

$59.3 ฿1,978

-28.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.56 ¥4,658

$34.69 ฿1,157

-14.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.2 ¥9,639

$115 ฿3,843

-46.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ¥17.6K

$83.8 ฿2,794

33.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ¥79.3K

$621 ฿20.7K

-18.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ¥55.4K

$446 ฿14.9K

-21.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$875 ¥137.8K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-57.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥105.9K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-55.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,599 ¥724.6K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

33.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,326 ¥366.5K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-8.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,218 ¥191.9K

$494 ฿16.5K

146.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.05

5.33

-61.54%

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

Last update for Narita: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Narita and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Narita pays 147% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $41.00 in Narita vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $291, 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

Narita vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 147% higher in Narita, 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: $503 in Narita versus $621 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 381% less than in Narita. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Narita. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,268 in Narita, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Narita. 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 Narita, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Narita 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Narita on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.