Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Akita Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Akita

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $1,251 in Akita, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Phuket vs $1,943 in Akita, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,291 per month in Phuket vs $2,634 in Akita, rent included.

Phuket costs about 1% more than Akita, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Phuket and Akita are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Akita 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$7.05 ¥1,151

-35.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,563

$34.55 ¥5,638

34.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿292

$5.49 ¥896

57.56%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$3.79 ¥619

-18.47%

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

$0.68 ฿22.86

$1.03 ¥168

-33.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.42

$0.88 ¥143

-57.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.5

$2.12 ¥346

14.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$3.03 ¥494

25.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.54 ¥252

41.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.3

$1.59 ¥259

14.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$4.88 ¥797

-55.33%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.4

$2.18 ¥356

2.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿672

$9.92 ¥1,618

100.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$6.26 ¥1,022

-41.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$15.75 ¥2,570

-13.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$5.25 ¥856

-37.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$2.51 ¥410

-32.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.7

$4.14 ¥675

-43.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$5.76 ¥940

-64.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.01 ¥491

-46.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$2.60 ¥424

-42.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.13

$1.39 ¥227

-27.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.07

$0.83 ¥136

-42.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$4.08 ¥666

9.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$7.76 ¥1,266

140.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$1.89 ¥309

-5.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.3

$2.16 ¥352

29.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.84

$1.64 ¥268

-13.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$56.1 ¥9,159

-79.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$3.40 ¥555

-9.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.15

$2.87 ¥468

-63.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$21.21 ¥3,462

-35.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.18

$1.52 ¥247

-13.82%

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

$27.3K ฿919.6K

$23.4K ¥3.8M

16.44%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$17.1K ¥2.8M

94.38%

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

$123 ฿4,152

$144 ¥23.5K

-14.61%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$27.45 ¥4,479

-49.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$34.05 ¥5,557

-45.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,035

$56.2 ¥9,170

7.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

$13.78 ¥2,249

21.92%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿300

$12.24 ¥1,997

-27.37%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$284 ¥46.4K

141.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿524.2K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

15.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,943

$45.47 ¥7,420

26.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$29.27 ¥4,776

18.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,874

$58.9 ¥9,616

95.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,862

$91.9 ¥15.0K

-7.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$470 ¥76.7K

31.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$323 ¥52.7K

37.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$868 ¥141.6K

135.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.8K

$667 ¥108.8K

125.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.3K

$4,485 ¥732.0K

-20.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$1,757 ¥286.7K

42.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$1,572 ¥256.6K

-68.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.78

199.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Akita: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $618 in Phuket versus $470 in Akita. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 213% higher in Akita, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $35.00 in Akita. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Phuket vs $314 in Akita – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Phuket vs Akita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 1% more than Akita, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Phuket and $1,877 in Akita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Akita, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 395% less in Akita. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $687 per month in Phuket and $284 in Akita. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Akita, where all-in costs run around $1,251, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Akita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Akita costs $1,251 versus $1,261 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Akita. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.