Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fukuyama

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukuyama: $1,134 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $890 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Fukuyama
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Fukuyama Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Fukuyama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,134

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Fukuyama

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Fukuyama actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,134 in Fukuyama.

Phuket $1,208
Fukuyama $1,134

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,805 in Fukuyama.

Phuket $2,027
Fukuyama $1,805

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,476 in Fukuyama.

Phuket $2,845
Fukuyama $2,476

Living in Phuket is roughly 7% more expensive than in Fukuyama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Fukuyama 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$7.51 ¥1,186

-41.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$31.20 ¥4,929

3.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$4.90 ¥775

78.78%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$3.27 ¥517

-13.46%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.83 ¥132

8.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.52 ¥82.7

-9.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$1.91 ¥302

33.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.20 ¥505

19.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$0.98 ¥155

76.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$0.79 ¥125

86.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$5.88 ¥929

-74.32%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.07 ¥326

4.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$8.75 ¥1,382

125.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$3.39 ¥535

-1.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$10.76 ¥1,700

3.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$4.99 ¥788

-42.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$2.33 ¥369

-27.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$4.95 ¥782

-55.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$3.66 ¥578

-43.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.87 ¥296

-22.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.64 ¥259

-15.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.99 ¥157

8.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.39 ¥62.4

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.85 ¥608

10.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$7.75 ¥1,224

139.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.64 ¥259

8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$3.19 ¥503

-10.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.45 ¥229

55.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$52.9 ¥8,358

-58.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$3.39 ¥535

-11.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$3.82 ¥603

-72.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$28.88 ¥4,563

-86.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.02 ¥162

42.16%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$12.4K ¥2.0M

112.21%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$15.5K ¥2.4M

74.17%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$103 ¥16.3K

-6.61%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$18.57 ¥2,934

-40.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$30.10 ¥4,755

-43.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$51.1 ¥8,072

2.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$1.92 ¥304

481.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$12.19 ¥1,926

-35.93%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$651 ¥102.9K

-14.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$6,461 ¥1.0M

79.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$37.55 ¥5,933

70.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$31.32 ¥4,949

-8.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$63.5 ¥10.0K

50.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$102 ¥16.1K

-13.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$535 ¥84.6K

37.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$335 ¥53.0K

37.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$1,101 ¥174.0K

90.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$745 ¥117.7K

61.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$4,284 ¥676.8K

-18.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,742 ¥275.2K

44.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$1,387 ¥219.1K

-63.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

457.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Fukuyama: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Fukuyama

$335 29.6% 27.5% $127

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Fukuyama

$250 22% 7.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Fukuyama

$152 13.4% 21.9% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Fukuyama

$105 9.3% 15.2% $19

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Fukuyama

$135 11.9% 11.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Fukuyama

$75 6.7% 11.3% $7.7

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Fukuyama

$81 7.2% 106% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $535 in Fukuyama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fukuyama pays 177% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Fukuyama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $250 per month, with Fukuyama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇯🇵 Fukuyama

🕒 Local time

11:14 11:14 AM

13:14 1:14 PM

2 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

460,930

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Fukuyama 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Fukuyama

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Fukuyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukuyama wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fukuyama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 177% lower in Fukuyama. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $535 in Fukuyama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $651 in Fukuyama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,134 in Fukuyama versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fukuyama but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Fukuyama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fukuyama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,134 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fukuyama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Fukuyama 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 Fukuyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.