Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fukuoka Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fukuoka

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $1,278 in Fukuoka, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $2,050 in Fukuoka, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $2,822 in Fukuoka, rent included.

Phuket is about 2% cheaper than Fukuoka, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Phuket and Fukuoka are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Fukuoka 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$8.15 ¥1,324

-44.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$42.01 ¥6,826

9.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.24 ¥1,013

41.67%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.09 ¥503

-0.97%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.04 ¥169

-29.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.83 ¥134

-51.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.63 ¥265

49.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.05 ¥333

84.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.75 ¥284

29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.58 ¥257

14.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.25 ¥691

-47.06%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.61 ¥424

-13.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$20.67 ¥3,358

-5.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.26 ¥1,017

-41.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$20.68 ¥3,361

-36.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.16 ¥514

2.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.41 ¥228

14.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.35 ¥220

76.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$5.92 ¥961

-65.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.85 ¥463

-46.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.20 ¥521

-53.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.96 ¥156

2.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.81 ¥131

-35.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.82 ¥620

16.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.23 ¥1,012

194.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.94 ¥315

-4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.14 ¥348

25.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.77 ¥287

-20.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$42.36 ¥6,882

-72.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$4.75 ¥772

-34.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$4.44 ¥721

-76.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$19.68 ¥3,198

-28.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.23 ¥200

6.50%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

17.88%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$19.8K ¥3.2M

68.15%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$221 ¥35.8K

-44.47%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$27.43 ¥4,456

-50.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$35.23 ¥5,724

-46.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$59.9 ¥9,726

1.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$3.54 ¥575

379.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$13.83 ¥2,247

-34.42%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$411 ¥66.7K

71.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$13.3K ¥2.2M

19.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$44.09 ¥7,164

32.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$30.00 ¥4,874

17.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$66.8 ¥10.8K

72.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$60.2 ¥9,775

39.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$537 ¥87.2K

16.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$295 ¥47.9K

50.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,043 ¥169.4K

95.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$692 ¥112.5K

115.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$6,287 ¥1.0M

-44.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,625 ¥426.4K

-1.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,518 ¥246.6K

-67.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.67

219.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Fukuoka: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $537 in Fukuoka. 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 204% higher in Fukuoka, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $42.00 in Fukuoka. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Phuket vs $330 in Fukuoka – 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 Fukuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,250 in Phuket, $1,278 in Fukuoka – roughly 2% apart. Fukuoka 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 $1,917 in Fukuoka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $706 per month in Phuket and $411 in Fukuoka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Fukuoka, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Fukuoka at $1,278. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fukuoka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Fukuoka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,250 in Phuket to $1,278 in Fukuoka. 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 Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fukuoka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.