Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ichinomiya Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ichinomiya

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $1,245 in Ichinomiya, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $1,931 in Ichinomiya, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $2,618 in Ichinomiya, rent included.

Phuket and Ichinomiya have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Phuket and Ichinomiya are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Ichinomiya 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$7.02 ¥1,141

-35.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$33.99 ¥5,522

35.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.35 ¥869

65.23%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.08 ¥501

-0.65%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.10 ¥178

-33.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.76 ¥123

-47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.67 ¥434

-8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.08 ¥501

22.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.60 ¥259

41.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.58 ¥257

14.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.79 ¥778

-53.03%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.32 ¥377

-3.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.02 ¥1,629

94.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.47 ¥1,052

-43.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$15.58 ¥2,531

-16.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$5.41 ¥878

-40.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.56 ¥417

-36.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$4.12 ¥669

-42.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$5.72 ¥930

-64.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$3.03 ¥493

-49.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.68 ¥435

-44.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.39 ¥226

-29.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.82 ¥133

-36.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.25 ¥690

4.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.16 ¥1,326

124.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.85 ¥301

0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.27 ¥369

18.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.67 ¥272

-15.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$55.9 ¥9,082

-79.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.53 ¥573

-11.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$3.01 ¥489

-65.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$21.02 ¥3,415

-32.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.18 ¥192

11.02%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$23.2K ¥3.8M

20.03%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$17.5K ¥2.8M

89.76%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$146 ¥23.7K

-16.02%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$27.50 ¥4,468

-50.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$34.08 ¥5,537

-45.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$55.5 ¥9,014

9.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.93 ¥2,263

21.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$12.52 ¥2,035

-27.56%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$283 ¥45.9K

150.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

17.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$42.60 ¥6,921

37.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$30.04 ¥4,881

17.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$58.9 ¥9,564

96.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$93.4 ¥15.2K

-10.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$460 ¥74.7K

35.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$326 ¥53.0K

36.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$881 ¥143.1K

131.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$671 ¥109.0K

122.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$4,248 ¥690.2K

-18.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,113 ¥343.3K

21.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ichinomiya: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $460 in Ichinomiya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $34.00 in Ichinomiya. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Phuket vs $317 in Ichinomiya – 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 Ichinomiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $1,867 in Ichinomiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Phuket – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

Kindergarten costs $706 per month in Phuket and $283 in Ichinomiya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ichinomiya, where all-in costs run around $1,245, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Ichinomiya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ichinomiya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Ichinomiya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.