Cost of Living Comparison Between Oita and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Oita and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $968 in Oita versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,610 in Oita versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,253 in Oita versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Oita costs roughly 23% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Oita 30% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 ¥775

$4.56 ฿150

8.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.11 ¥6,579

$32.62 ฿1,072

29.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 ¥896

$8.90 ฿293

-35.51%

Cappuccino

$1.94 ¥302

$2.80 ฿92.2

-30.71%

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

$1.06 ¥166

$0.88 ฿28.93

20.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥95.8

$0.49 ฿16.08

24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ¥500

$2.39 ฿78.5

33.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥335

$3.71 ฿122

-42.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥206

$1.79 ฿58.7

-26.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ¥194

$1.44 ฿47.38

-13.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.22 ¥972

$1.58 ฿52.1

293.67%

Eggs

$2.19 ¥342

$2.13 ฿69.9

2.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.05 ¥477

$19.92 ฿655

-84.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.46 ¥853

$3.43 ฿113

59.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 ¥1,960

$11.33 ฿372

10.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ¥342

$2.95 ฿96.9

-25.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ¥198

$1.72 ฿56.6

-26.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 ¥247

$2.32 ฿76.4

-31.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 ¥312

$2.08 ฿68.4

-3.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ¥194

$1.47 ฿48.33

-15.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥200

$1.36 ฿44.64

-5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 ¥142

$1.10 ฿36.12

-17.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥153

$0.57 ฿18.89

71.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥594

$4.27 ฿140

-11.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.27 ¥980

$18.42 ฿605

-65.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ¥246

$1.87 ฿61.5

-15.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ¥293

$2.92 ฿96.0

-35.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥231

$2.22 ฿72.9

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 ¥8,682

$22.90 ฿753

142.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 ¥627

$3.03 ฿99.6

32.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 ¥315

$1.07 ฿35.31

88.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.55 ¥2,742

$3.93 ฿129

346.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥172

$1.49 ฿49.04

-26.17%

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

$21.2K ¥3.3M

$27.1K ฿891.7K

-21.72%

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

$17.0K ¥2.7M

$27.5K ฿902.3K

-38.04%

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

$49.78 ¥7,776

$103 ฿3,379

-51.58%

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

$25.01 ¥3,908

$10.99 ฿361

127.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.56 ¥5,086

$17.51 ฿576

85.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.61 ¥7,750

$53.5 ฿1,760

-7.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$9.50 ¥1,485

$7.48 ฿246

27.01%

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

$123 ¥19.3K

$557 ฿18.3K

-77.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ¥1.9M

$11.9K ฿389.6K

2.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.43 ¥5,848

$64.1 ฿2,106

-41.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.59 ¥3,685

$29.07 ฿956

-18.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 ¥9,275

$96.0 ฿3,154

-38.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.28 ¥7,230

$90.3 ฿2,970

-48.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$468 ¥73.0K

$730 ฿24.0K

-35.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ¥50.0K

$500 ฿16.4K

-35.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 ¥168.1K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-48.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ¥112.0K

$1,209 ฿39.7K

-40.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,407 ¥688.4K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

22.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,908 ¥298.1K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-24.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$992 ¥154.9K

$503 ฿16.5K

97.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.97

5.57

-64.63%

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

Last update for Oita: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $468 in Oita and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oita pays 97% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Oita vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $214 vs $273, with Oita 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

Oita vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oita wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Oita the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 97% higher in Oita, 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: $468 in Oita versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $123 in Oita versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $968 in Oita versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oita but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Oita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Oita delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $968 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Oita hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Oita 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 Oita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.