Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ichihara Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ichihara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,183 in Ichihara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,881 in Ichihara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,579 in Ichihara.

Living in Phuket is roughly 7% more expensive than Ichihara, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ichihara 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$7.13 ¥1,141

-34.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$34.72 ¥5,553

30.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.09 ¥814

65.62%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.19 ¥511

-8.15%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.14 ¥183

-39.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.80 ¥129

-53.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.09 ¥335

15.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.04 ¥326

82.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.53 ¥245

45.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.75 ¥280

4.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$4.94 ¥791

-56.07%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.56 ¥250

41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.06 ¥1,609

96.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.16 ¥985

-41.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.36 ¥2,457

-11.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$5.95 ¥951

-44.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$3.20 ¥512

-49.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.92 ¥628

-38.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.60 ¥736

-54.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$3.39 ¥542

-54.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$3.67 ¥588

-59.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.34 ¥215

-26.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.81 ¥130

-37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.04 ¥646

9.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.06 ¥1,289

140.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.75 ¥279

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.04 ¥326

32.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.65 ¥264

-16.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$56.1 ¥8,973

-79.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.40 ¥544

-11.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$2.90 ¥464

-65.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$21.90 ¥3,503

-35.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.14 ¥182

19.30%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

20.02%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$18.4K ¥2.9M

78.70%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$84.6 ¥13.5K

43.85%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$27.72 ¥4,434

-51.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$17.12 ¥2,739

6.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$55.9 ¥8,936

7.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.69 ¥2,189

25.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$11.24 ¥1,797

-22.69%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$287 ¥45.8K

141.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$14.0K ¥2.2M

12.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$41.33 ¥6,610

44.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$29.30 ¥4,687

18.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$59.3 ¥9,479

93.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$98.4 ¥15.7K

-15.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$459 ¥73.5K

33.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$324 ¥51.8K

34.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$868 ¥138.8K

141.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$660 ¥105.6K

128.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$5,257 ¥840.8K

-28.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,054 ¥328.5K

27.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

166.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ichihara: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $459 in Ichihara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Ichihara. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $315, 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 Ichihara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ichihara is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,775 in Ichihara 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: $613 in Phuket versus $459 in Ichihara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $287 in Ichihara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,183 in Ichihara versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ichihara but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ichihara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ichihara 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 Ichihara 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 Ichihara 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.