Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Asahikawa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Asahikawa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $1,210 in Asahikawa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $1,941 in Asahikawa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $2,673 in Asahikawa, rent included.

Phuket costs about 2% more than Asahikawa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Phuket and Asahikawa are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Asahikawa 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.68 ¥1,043

-33.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$32.85 ¥5,130

-1.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$5.18 ¥809

72.39%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$3.03 ¥474

-4.29%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.03 ¥161

-14.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.75 ¥117

-36.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$2.31 ¥361

1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.44 ¥537

8.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.45 ¥226

28.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.46 ¥228

0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$4.30 ¥672

-63.95%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.89 ¥294

11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$10.82 ¥1,689

81.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.84 ¥1,068

-50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$15.80 ¥2,468

-27.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$5.68 ¥887

-47.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$2.27 ¥355

-25.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.86 ¥447

-22.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$4.32 ¥674

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.90 ¥454

-47.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$2.59 ¥405

-48.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.38 ¥215

-18.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.74 ¥116

-25.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.41 ¥689

-3.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.11 ¥1,267

135.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.85 ¥289

-3.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.17 ¥339

28.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$1.61 ¥252

38.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$61.9 ¥9,672

-63.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.88 ¥451

5.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$3.14 ¥491

-67.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$18.83 ¥2,941

-79.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.24 ¥194

20.16%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$21.9K ¥3.4M

21.35%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$13.8K ¥2.1M

96.41%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$145 ¥22.6K

-29.33%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$22.25 ¥3,474

-49.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$36.34 ¥5,676

-52.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$47.40 ¥7,402

9.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$10.54 ¥1,646

-27.04%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$607 ¥94.8K

-7.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-13.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$57.8 ¥9,018

9.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$35.96 ¥5,616

-17.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$61.8 ¥9,647

58.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$86.3 ¥13.5K

2.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$491 ¥76.6K

50.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$296 ¥46.2K

63.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$971 ¥151.7K

116.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$710 ¥110.9K

72.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$3,277 ¥511.8K

10.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,817 ¥283.7K

43.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

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 Asahikawa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $491 in Asahikawa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $33.00 in Asahikawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $301 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Asahikawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,232 in Phuket, $1,210 in Asahikawa – roughly 2% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,814 in Asahikawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 172% less in Asahikawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $561 per month in Phuket and $607 in Asahikawa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Asahikawa, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Asahikawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,210 in Asahikawa to $1,232 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Asahikawa. 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.