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 $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,031 in Osaka versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,710 in Osaka versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Osaka is roughly 10% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 1% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.95 ¥1,113

$4.63 ฿151

50.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.82 ¥5,574

$46.84 ฿1,532

-25.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 ¥792

$8.84 ฿289

-44.00%

Cappuccino

$3.32 ¥532

$3.00 ฿98.0

10.67%

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

$1.09 ¥174

$0.74 ฿24.25

47.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥116

$0.37 ฿11.95

94.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 ¥447

$2.44 ฿79.8

14.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 ¥699

$3.61 ฿118

21.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥254

$2.26 ฿73.9

-30.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ¥236

$1.84 ฿60.1

-20.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 ¥744

$2.24 ฿73.4

107.59%

Eggs

$2.36 ¥378

$2.32 ฿75.7

1.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 ¥1,665

$19.67 ฿643

-47.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.50 ¥1,040

$3.65 ฿119

78.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.26 ¥3,083

$13.10 ฿428

47.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 ¥582

$3.39 ฿111

7.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ¥335

$1.64 ฿53.7

27.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 ¥395

$2.41 ฿79.0

2.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 ¥696

$2.03 ฿66.4

114.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 ¥264

$1.56 ฿50.9

5.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 ¥208

$1.50 ฿48.94

-13.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ¥214

$1.02 ฿33.50

31.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥135

$0.49 ฿16.00

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 ¥609

$4.45 ฿145

-14.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.20 ¥1,473

$18.88 ฿617

-51.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥332

$1.78 ฿58.1

16.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ¥477

$2.75 ฿90.1

8.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 ¥253

$1.40 ฿45.81

12.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.89 ¥5,746

$11.48 ฿376

212.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 ¥718

$3.12 ฿102

43.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.39 ¥542

$1.00 ฿32.67

239.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.90 ¥3,826

$14.09 ฿461

69.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥197

$1.35 ฿44.19

-8.89%

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

$23.4K ¥3.7M

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-13.94%

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

$17.2K ¥2.8M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-47.67%

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

$130 ¥20.9K

$125 ฿4,087

4.33%

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

$27.23 ¥4,358

$13.57 ฿444

100.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.85 ¥4,938

$18.52 ฿606

66.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.6 ¥9,374

$61.5 ฿2,010

-4.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.43 ¥3,271

$16.84 ฿551

21.32%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 ¥1,981

$9.19 ฿300

34.71%

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

$69.4 ¥11.1K

$698 ฿22.8K

-90.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K ¥1.7M

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-33.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.94 ¥7,034

$57.8 ฿1,889

-23.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.63 ¥4,743

$35.24 ฿1,152

-15.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 ¥11.0K

$113 ฿3,699

-39.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 ¥15.2K

$86.4 ฿2,825

9.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ¥117.3K

$616 ฿20.1K

19.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 ¥74.8K

$446 ฿14.6K

4.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ¥204.1K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-37.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥131.7K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-44.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,986 ¥958.2K

$3,779 ฿123.6K

58.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,086 ¥333.9K

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-21.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,989 ¥318.4K

$524 ฿17.1K

279.71%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Osaka and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 280% 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 Osaka vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $292, 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 10% in total monthly costs ($1,352 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Osaka pays 280% 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: $733 in Osaka versus $616 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 213% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $69.4 in Osaka versus $698 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 $1,352 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 10% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.