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: $1,353 in Otsu versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,946 in Otsu versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,539 in Otsu versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Otsu is roughly 7% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Otsu 2% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.97 ¥1,378

$4.66 ฿154

92.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.16 ¥4,939

$32.22 ฿1,065

-0.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 ¥777

$8.68 ฿287

-41.71%

Cappuccino

$3.18 ¥489

$2.90 ฿95.8

9.66%

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

$1.27 ¥194

$0.84 ฿27.89

51.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥131

$0.49 ฿16.16

73.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 ¥488

$2.48 ฿82.0

28.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ¥707

$3.73 ฿123

23.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥237

$1.89 ฿62.3

-17.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 ¥242

$1.41 ฿46.54

12.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.55 ¥699

$1.62 ฿53.6

180.86%

Eggs

$2.29 ¥351

$2.24 ฿74.1

2.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.29 ¥2,501

$19.84 ฿656

-17.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 ¥1,018

$3.48 ฿115

90.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 ¥2,670

$11.37 ฿376

52.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 ¥778

$2.90 ฿95.8

74.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 ¥405

$1.72 ฿57.0

53.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.07 ¥779

$2.27 ฿75.1

123.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 ¥678

$2.13 ฿70.4

107.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ¥342

$1.47 ฿48.72

51.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 ¥293

$1.42 ฿46.92

34.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ¥180

$1.10 ฿36.25

6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥139

$0.60 ฿19.76

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥613

$4.31 ฿142

-7.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 ¥1,491

$18.60 ฿615

-47.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥327

$1.80 ฿59.5

18.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ¥341

$2.97 ฿98.0

-25.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 ¥233

$2.25 ฿74.2

-32.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 ¥9,332

$23.49 ฿776

158.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 ¥501

$3.10 ฿102

5.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.97 ¥456

$1.08 ฿35.56

175.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.77 ¥4,418

$3.87 ฿128

643.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥174

$1.43 ฿47.16

-20.98%

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

$22.5K ¥3.5M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-18.86%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-42.91%

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

$120 ¥18.4K

$105 ฿3,462

14.34%

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

$24.17 ¥3,712

$11.39 ฿376

112.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.09 ¥4,927

$17.54 ฿580

82.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 ¥8,159

$54.3 ฿1,795

-2.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.90 ¥1,519

$11.44 ฿378

-13.46%

Cinema Ticket

$12.86 ¥1,974

$7.78 ฿257

65.30%

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

$585 ¥89.9K

$576 ฿19.0K

1.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K ¥2.0M

$11.6K ฿382.7K

12.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 ¥8,724

$63.6 ฿2,103

-10.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.65 ¥5,628

$29.10 ฿961

25.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 ¥10.7K

$96.2 ฿3,179

-27.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥15.7K

$90.0 ฿2,974

13.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$454 ¥69.8K

$733 ฿24.2K

-38.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 ¥57.6K

$501 ฿16.5K

-25.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 ¥101.0K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-69.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 ¥73.7K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-61.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,448 ¥683.0K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

25.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 ¥310.0K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-23.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,871 ¥287.3K

$508 ฿16.8K

268.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

5.57

-62.30%

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

Last update for Otsu: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $454 in Otsu and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Otsu pays 269% 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: $32.00 in Otsu vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $337 vs $275, 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

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Otsu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 269% 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: $454 in Otsu versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $585 in Otsu versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Otsu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,353 in Otsu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Otsu. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Otsu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.