Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ichinomiya

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Ichinomiya: $1,208 and $1,196 a month, rent and utilities included.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Ichinomiya
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,196
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ichinomiya

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 Ichinomiya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $1,196 in Ichinomiya, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Ichinomiya $1,196

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $1,897 in Ichinomiya, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Ichinomiya $1,897

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $2,598 in Ichinomiya, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Ichinomiya $2,598

Phuket costs about 1% more than Ichinomiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Ichinomiya are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Ichinomiya 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Ichinomiya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿147
$6.44 ¥1,017
-31.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,078
$32.13 ¥5,076
0.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿293
$5.11 ¥807
71.43%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿94.5
$3.01 ¥475
-5.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.14
$1.24 ¥197
-27.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.56
$0.76 ¥120
-38.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿85.2
$2.60 ¥411
-1.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$3.09 ¥489
23.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Ichinomiya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$1.53 ¥242
13.07%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.11
$1.61 ¥254
-8.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$4.16 ¥658
-63.70%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$2.08 ¥329
4.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿658
$10.51 ¥1,660
87.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿112
$6.69 ¥1,057
-50.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿373
$16.72 ¥2,642
-33.25%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿95.1
$3.81 ¥601
-25.20%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿56.9
$2.26 ¥357
-24.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.3
$2.93 ¥463
-25.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.4
$4.14 ¥654
-50.48%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿48.57
$2.37 ¥375
-38.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.16
$2.53 ¥400
-45.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.69
$1.23 ¥194
-13.01%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.91
$0.81 ¥127
-37.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$3.85 ¥608
10.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿621
$6.56 ¥1,037
183.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿59.7
$1.85 ¥293
-3.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.2
$2.11 ¥333
35.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Ichinomiya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿75.6
$1.45 ¥229
55.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿738
$53.3 ¥8,427
-58.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿101
$3.20 ¥505
-5.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.34
$2.80 ¥442
-62.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿129
$18.90 ¥2,986
-79.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.45
$1.11 ¥175
30.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.9K
$21.5K ¥3.4M
22.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿900.4K
$15.3K ¥2.4M
76.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Ichinomiya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,221
$133 ¥21.0K
-27.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿369
$23.86 ¥3,770
-53.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿573
$31.37 ¥4,956
-45.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Ichinomiya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,744
$53.0 ¥8,371
-1.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿373
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿261
$11.75 ¥1,856
-33.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Ichinomiya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.6K
$519 ¥82.0K
7.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿387.0K
$12.6K ¥2.0M
-7.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Ichinomiya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,146
$50.3 ¥7,940
27.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿959
$31.15 ¥4,921
-7.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,187
$61.6 ¥9,724
54.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,940
$88.1 ¥13.9K
-0.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Ichinomiya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
$528 ¥83.5K
39.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.5K
$331 ¥52.3K
39.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.0K
$1,094 ¥172.8K
91.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.1K
$747 ¥118.0K
60.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿116.6K
$4,154 ¥656.4K
-16.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿84.3K
$1,788 ¥282.5K
41.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Ichinomiya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
2.21
152.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ichinomiya: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Ichinomiya
$331 28.4% $131
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Ichinomiya
$290 7.9% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Ichinomiya
$188 51.1% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Ichinomiya
$104 16.4% $20
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Ichinomiya
$130 7.3% $8.9
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Ichinomiya
$76 12.8% $8.7
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Ichinomiya
$76 93.5% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $528 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $32.00 in Ichinomiya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $290 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇯🇵 Ichinomiya
🕒 Local time
06:46 6:46 AM
08:46 8:46 AM
2 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
379,728
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Ichinomiya 4,950 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Ichinomiya

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 Ichinomiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ichinomiya cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $1,794 in Ichinomiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Ichinomiya?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $32.00 in Ichinomiya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Phuket and in Ichinomiya?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,208 in Phuket and $1,196 in Ichinomiya. That's a gap of about 1%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Ichinomiya?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ichinomiya, where all-in costs run around $1,196, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Ichinomiya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Ichinomiya more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Ichinomiya?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
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.

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