Cost of Living Comparison Between Otsu and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Otsu and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Otsu versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,920 in Otsu versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,617 in Otsu versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Otsu costs roughly 2% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Otsu 8% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.50 ¥1,382

$4.55 ฿153

86.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.39 ¥5,587

$46.18 ฿1,553

-25.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ¥888

$8.84 ฿297

-38.12%

Cappuccino

$3.01 ¥490

$3.06 ฿103

-1.63%

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

$0.91 ¥149

$0.73 ฿24.40

24.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥117

$0.40 ฿13.39

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 ¥560

$2.43 ฿81.8

41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ¥520

$3.78 ฿127

-15.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ¥275

$2.26 ฿76.0

-25.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 ¥278

$1.81 ฿60.9

-5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 ¥503

$2.25 ฿75.8

37.78%

Eggs

$2.34 ¥379

$2.25 ฿75.5

4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.56 ¥1,554

$19.51 ฿656

-51.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 ¥1,253

$3.65 ฿123

111.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.61 ¥2,537

$13.05 ฿439

19.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.46 ¥887

$3.23 ฿109

69.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 ¥422

$1.62 ฿54.4

60.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 ¥785

$2.38 ฿80.1

102.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 ¥641

$2.03 ฿68.1

94.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ¥260

$1.53 ฿51.6

4.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 ¥385

$1.50 ฿50.5

58.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 ¥212

$0.98 ฿32.91

33.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥164

$0.52 ฿17.39

94.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 ¥660

$4.44 ฿149

-8.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.06 ¥1,472

$18.32 ฿616

-50.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥292

$1.86 ฿62.7

-3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ¥390

$2.68 ฿90.1

-10.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 ¥258

$1.41 ฿47.46

12.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ¥8,916

$11.70 ฿393

368.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 ¥559

$3.11 ฿105

10.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 ¥475

$1.04 ฿35.06

181.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.07 ¥2,773

$14.11 ฿474

20.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥194

$1.31 ฿44.10

-9.16%

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

$22.8K ¥3.7M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-17.94%

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

$17.1K ¥2.8M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-48.52%

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

$110 ¥17.9K

$122 ฿4,118

-10.09%

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

$26.63 ¥4,326

$13.59 ฿457

95.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.78 ¥5,488

$18.70 ฿629

80.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ¥8,916

$60.5 ฿2,034

-9.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.64 ¥2,216

$16.98 ฿571

-19.67%

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 ¥2,037

$9.07 ฿305

38.26%

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

$374 ¥60.7K

$706 ฿23.8K

-47.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,474 ¥1.2M

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-52.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.41 ¥7,378

$58.6 ฿1,969

-22.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 ¥5,146

$35.36 ฿1,189

-10.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.1 ¥9,119

$115 ฿3,883

-51.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 ¥15.0K

$83.7 ฿2,816

10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$468 ¥76.1K

$626 ฿21.0K

-25.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 ¥52.5K

$445 ฿15.0K

-27.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$856 ¥139.1K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-58.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 ¥108.8K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-55.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,318 ¥701.6K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

24.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,079 ¥337.7K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-19.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,769 ¥287.5K

$500 ฿16.8K

254.00%

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 Otsu: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $468 in Otsu and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Otsu pays 254% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Otsu vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $311 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

Otsu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Otsu wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Otsu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 254% higher in Otsu, 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 Otsu versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $374 in Otsu versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,223 in Otsu versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Otsu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Otsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Otsu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,223 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Otsu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Otsu 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 Otsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.