Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fukushima Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fukushima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,229 in Fukushima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,935 in Fukushima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,641 in Fukushima.

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and Fukushima; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.52 ¥1,018

-32.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$33.03 ¥5,154

-2.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$5.11 ¥797

74.76%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.12 ¥486

-7.05%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.19 ¥185

-26.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.76 ¥119

-36.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.73 ¥425

-13.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.24 ¥505

14.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.71 ¥267

9.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.52 ¥237

-3.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$4.18 ¥653

-62.92%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.83 ¥285

14.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$9.98 ¥1,557

96.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.18 ¥965

-44.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$17.03 ¥2,657

-33.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.12 ¥798

-41.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.23 ¥347

-24.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.71 ¥423

-18.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.74 ¥739

-54.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.71 ¥423

-43.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.56 ¥399

-47.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.12 ¥175

0.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.78 ¥121

-29.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.42 ¥533

24.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.23 ¥1,284

131.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.74 ¥272

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.43 ¥380

14.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.49 ¥232

49.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$51.9 ¥8,095

-56.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.09 ¥482

-1.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.52 ¥394

-59.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$19.69 ¥3,073

-80.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.23 ¥192

21.14%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$20.5K ¥3.2M

29.55%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$13.3K ¥2.1M

103.34%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$155 ¥24.2K

-33.99%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$26.94 ¥4,204

-57.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$36.11 ¥5,635

-51.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$55.8 ¥8,713

-6.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$13.90 ¥2,169

-44.68%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$515 ¥80.4K

8.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$12.4K ¥1.9M

-7.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$47.34 ¥7,386

33.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$37.39 ¥5,833

-21.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$63.7 ¥9,938

53.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$99.2 ¥15.5K

-10.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$507 ¥79.1K

45.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$332 ¥51.8K

45.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,169 ¥182.4K

80.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$795 ¥124.0K

54.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$4,016 ¥626.6K

-9.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$2,035 ¥317.6K

27.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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 Fukushima: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $507 in Fukushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Fukushima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $299 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 Fukushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,843 in Fukushima to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $507 in Fukushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $515 in Fukushima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Fukushima – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,229 in Fukushima versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fukushima but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Fukushima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fukushima is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Fukushima are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Fukushima wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.