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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $1,233 in Asahikawa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $1,909 in Asahikawa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $2,584 in Asahikawa, rent included.

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

Both Phuket and Asahikawa are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Asahikawa 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.90 ¥1,121

-34.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$35.17 ¥5,714

31.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.23 ¥850

69.02%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.14 ¥510

-2.55%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.09 ¥177

-33.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.79 ¥128

-49.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.65 ¥431

-8.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.03 ¥492

24.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.53 ¥249

47.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.58 ¥257

14.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.87 ¥792

-53.80%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.29 ¥371

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.97 ¥1,620

95.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.31 ¥1,026

-42.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$15.27 ¥2,482

-14.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$5.34 ¥868

-39.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.59 ¥421

-37.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$3.92 ¥637

-39.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$5.85 ¥951

-65.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$3.13 ¥509

-51.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.69 ¥437

-44.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.35 ¥219

-27.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.89 ¥145

-41.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.22 ¥685

5.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.69 ¥1,412

110.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.85 ¥301

0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.26 ¥368

18.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.67 ¥272

-15.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$55.9 ¥9,080

-79.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.39 ¥551

-8.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$3.03 ¥492

-65.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$21.06 ¥3,422

-33.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.23 ¥201

6.50%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$22.9K ¥3.7M

21.63%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$17.6K ¥2.9M

89.17%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$144 ¥23.3K

-14.76%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$27.32 ¥4,439

-50.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$33.88 ¥5,505

-44.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$56.3 ¥9,144

7.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$14.07 ¥2,286

20.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$12.69 ¥2,063

-28.53%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$287 ¥46.6K

146.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$13.7K ¥2.2M

15.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$43.11 ¥7,004

35.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$29.89 ¥4,856

18.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$60.0 ¥9,747

92.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$91.3 ¥14.8K

-8.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$466 ¥75.6K

34.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$333 ¥54.1K

33.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$857 ¥139.2K

138.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$652 ¥105.9K

128.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$4,280 ¥695.4K

-18.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,320 ¥376.9K

11.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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 12, 2026

Last update for Asahikawa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $466 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $35.00 in Asahikawa. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Phuket vs $316 in Asahikawa – 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 Asahikawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,250 in Phuket, $1,233 in Asahikawa – roughly 1% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $1,849 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 378% less in Asahikawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $706 per month in Phuket and $287 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 $1,233, than in Phuket at $1,250. 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 $1,233 in Asahikawa to $1,250 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.