Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Atsugi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Atsugi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,166 in Atsugi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,863 in Atsugi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,560 in Atsugi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than Atsugi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Atsugi 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$8.19 ¥1,310

-42.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$27.23 ¥4,355

66.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.36 ¥1,017

32.55%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.02 ¥324

45.05%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.05 ¥168

-34.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.75 ¥121

-50.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.93 ¥469

-17.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.15 ¥505

18.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.67 ¥268

33.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.81 ¥290

1.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$4.95 ¥792

-56.16%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.16 ¥346

2.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$17.46 ¥2,793

13.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.73 ¥756

-23.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.75 ¥2,520

-14.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$5.64 ¥902

-41.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.09 ¥334

-22.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$4.10 ¥656

-41.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.98 ¥476

-30.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.63 ¥420

-41.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.02 ¥322

-26.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.33 ¥212

-25.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.94 ¥150

-45.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.49 ¥558

26.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$9.24 ¥1,478

109.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.78 ¥285

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.36 ¥378

14.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$2.90 ¥464

-52.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$48.59 ¥7,772

-76.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.56 ¥570

-15.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$3.02 ¥483

-67.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$10.33 ¥1,652

36.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.19 ¥191

14.29%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$13.8K ¥2.2M

104.37%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.7K ¥2.7M

97.38%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$143 ¥22.9K

-14.81%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$15.29 ¥2,446

-11.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$33.50 ¥5,358

-45.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$68.6 ¥11.0K

-12.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.98 ¥2,236

22.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$12.27 ¥1,962

-29.18%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$343 ¥54.8K

102.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$6,697 ¥1.1M

134.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$42.62 ¥6,817

39.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$25.52 ¥4,081

36.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$55.9 ¥8,937

105.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$34.15 ¥5,462

143.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$421 ¥67.4K

45.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$275 ¥44.0K

58.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$861 ¥137.7K

143.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$650 ¥103.9K

132.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$3,656 ¥584.7K

-86.10%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Atsugi: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $421 in Atsugi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Atsugi pays 619% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Atsugi. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $319, 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

Phuket vs Atsugi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Atsugi differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,166 including rent). Atsugi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Atsugi earns 619% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $421 in Atsugi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Atsugi – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $1,166 in Atsugi – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,166 in Atsugi versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Atsugi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Atsugi 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 Atsugi 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 Atsugi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.