Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,352 in Osaka versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,044 in Osaka versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,737 in Osaka versus $3,310 in Phuket.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.95 ¥1,112

$4.56 ฿149

52.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.23 ¥5,475

$46.63 ฿1,519

-26.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 ¥778

$8.47 ฿276

-42.50%

Cappuccino

$3.29 ¥527

$3.03 ฿98.6

8.58%

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

$1.08 ¥174

$0.69 ฿22.45

56.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥121

$0.37 ฿11.92

102.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 ¥450

$2.49 ฿81.0

13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 ¥687

$3.66 ฿119

17.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥254

$2.18 ฿71.0

-27.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ¥238

$1.90 ฿62.0

-21.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 ¥749

$2.20 ฿71.6

112.73%

Eggs

$2.41 ¥386

$2.22 ฿72.4

8.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 ¥1,679

$19.99 ฿651

-47.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 ¥1,013

$3.66 ฿119

72.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.18 ¥3,068

$13.25 ฿432

44.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 ¥590

$3.23 ฿105

14.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 ¥338

$1.70 ฿55.3

24.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 ¥416

$2.39 ฿78.0

8.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 ¥727

$2.08 ฿67.7

118.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 ¥274

$1.59 ฿51.8

7.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥200

$1.48 ฿48.31

-15.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ¥218

$1.03 ฿33.54

32.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥135

$0.52 ฿16.83

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 ¥615

$4.25 ฿138

-9.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.13 ¥1,460

$18.79 ฿612

-51.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥328

$1.76 ฿57.2

16.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ¥469

$2.76 ฿89.8

6.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥256

$1.36 ฿44.32

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.06 ¥5,768

$11.36 ฿370

217.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 ¥729

$3.14 ฿102

45.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.38 ¥540

$1.04 ฿33.74

225.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.20 ¥3,710

$13.77 ฿448

68.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥196

$1.34 ฿43.79

-8.96%

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

$23.6K ¥3.8M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-14.78%

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

$17.3K ¥2.8M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-49.01%

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

$132 ¥21.0K

$124 ฿4,025

6.45%

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

$27.19 ¥4,349

$13.52 ฿440

101.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.52 ¥4,881

$18.69 ฿609

63.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ¥9,170

$61.8 ฿2,013

-7.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 ¥3,390

$17.25 ฿562

22.84%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 ¥1,957

$9.14 ฿298

33.92%

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

$68.3 ¥10.9K

$703 ฿22.9K

-90.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ¥1.7M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-33.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.66 ¥7,144

$59.5 ฿1,937

-24.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.63 ¥4,740

$35.07 ฿1,142

-15.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 ¥10.9K

$115 ฿3,754

-40.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 ¥15.4K

$84.1 ฿2,737

14.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ¥117.0K

$619 ฿20.1K

18.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥74.6K

$433 ฿14.1K

7.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ¥205.4K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-37.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$813 ¥130.1K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-46.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,119 ¥978.7K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

67.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,098 ¥335.5K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-20.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,968 ¥314.7K

$507 ฿16.5K

288.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.81

5.33

-66.04%

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

Last update for Osaka: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $732 in Osaka and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 288% 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: $34.00 in Osaka vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 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

Osaka vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osaka and Phuket differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,352 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Osaka pays 288% 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: $732 in Osaka 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 217% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $68.3 in Osaka 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 $1,352 in Osaka, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Osaka 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 Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.