Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Amagasaki Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Amagasaki

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,219 in Amagasaki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,922 in Amagasaki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,626 in Amagasaki.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than in Amagasaki, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Amagasaki 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.54 ¥1,022

-32.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$36.57 ¥5,711

-11.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$4.86 ¥759

83.74%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.96 ¥462

-2.03%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.28 ¥200

-31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.73 ¥114

-34.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$2.67 ¥417

-11.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.55 ¥554

4.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.30 ¥203

43.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.70 ¥265

-13.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$4.07 ¥636

-61.92%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.08 ¥324

0.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$9.87 ¥1,541

98.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.11 ¥953

-44.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$16.26 ¥2,539

-30.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$4.59 ¥716

-35.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$2.73 ¥426

-38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.92 ¥457

-24.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$3.78 ¥591

-42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.52 ¥394

-39.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$2.25 ¥352

-40.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.35 ¥210

-16.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.81 ¥127

-32.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.50 ¥703

-5.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.34 ¥1,302

128.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.97 ¥307

-9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.30 ¥359

20.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$1.61 ¥251

38.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$57.5 ¥8,981

-60.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.83 ¥442

7.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$3.11 ¥486

-67.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$22.40 ¥3,498

-82.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.06 ¥166

40.57%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$22.2K ¥3.5M

19.58%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$16.3K ¥2.5M

65.93%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$119 ¥18.6K

-13.94%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$26.38 ¥4,120

-57.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$32.92 ¥5,141

-47.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$50.2 ¥7,840

3.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$10.90 ¥1,702

-29.45%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$545 ¥85.0K

2.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$13.0K ¥2.0M

-11.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$48.52 ¥7,577

29.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$35.54 ¥5,550

-16.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$67.2 ¥10.5K

45.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$89.5 ¥14.0K

-1.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$556 ¥86.8K

32.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$324 ¥50.6K

48.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$1,036 ¥161.8K

103.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$840 ¥131.1K

46.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$3,332 ¥520.3K

8.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,677 ¥261.8K

55.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$3,097 ¥483.6K

-84.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.09

166.51%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Amagasaki: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $556 in Amagasaki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amagasaki pays 527% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Amagasaki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $292 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Amagasaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Amagasaki differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,219 including rent). Amagasaki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 527% lower in Amagasaki. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $556 in Amagasaki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Amagasaki – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,219 in Amagasaki versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Amagasaki but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Amagasaki 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, Phuket and Amagasaki 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 Amagasaki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.