Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Japan

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $1,332 in Japan, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,190
/mo nomad
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,332
/mo nomad
🙂 Solo nomad: Phuket is 14.5% cheaper than Japan without rent, and 10.7% cheaper with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: Phuket is 13.1% cheaper than Japan without rent, and 5.2% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Japan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.35 ฿146
$6.27 ¥993
-30.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.45 ฿1,087
$32.23 ¥5,101
0.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.42 ฿282
$5.08 ¥805
65.75%
Cappuccino
$2.81 ฿94.0
$3.11 ¥492
-9.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.29
$1.12 ¥178
-22.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46 ฿15.39
$0.74 ¥117
-37.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 ฿86.6
$3.25 ¥515
-20.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.64 ฿122
$3.73 ¥590
-2.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Japan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.71 ฿57.2
$1.49 ¥236
14.77%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.42
$1.45 ¥229
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.56 ฿52.3
$4.94 ¥782
-68.42%
Eggs
$2.10 ฿70.3
$2.11 ¥333
-0.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.53 ฿654
$11.44 ¥1,810
70.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿114
$6.32 ¥1,000
-46.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ฿373
$17.80 ¥2,817
-37.42%
Apples (1kg)
$2.83 ฿94.8
$4.80 ¥760
-41.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 ฿54.3
$2.45 ¥388
-33.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 ฿74.5
$4.29 ¥680
-48.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.15 ฿71.9
$4.52 ¥715
-52.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.49 ฿49.95
$2.70 ¥428
-44.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.33 ฿44.40
$2.70 ¥427
-50.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.72
$1.34 ¥211
-20.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.01
$0.89 ¥140
-42.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.38 ฿147
$3.88 ¥614
12.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.77 ฿629
$7.49 ¥1,186
150.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.3
$1.90 ¥301
-8.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿92.9
$2.62 ¥415
6.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Japan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.17 ฿72.6
$1.36 ¥215
59.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.28 ฿746
$57.6 ¥9,122
-61.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿101
$3.66 ¥578
-17.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.43
$3.16 ¥499
-66.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.71 ฿124
$20.05 ¥3,174
-81.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 ฿47.88
$1.07 ¥170
33.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿882.1K
$21.7K ¥3.4M
21.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K ฿877.3K
$16.1K ¥2.5M
62.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Japan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.7 ฿3,236
$156 ¥24.7K
-38.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.41 ฿382
$24.21 ¥3,831
-52.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.11 ฿573
$32.72 ¥5,178
-47.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Japan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.8 ฿1,768
$52.6 ¥8,326
0.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.07 ฿371
$17.92 ¥2,836
-38.23%
Cinema Ticket
$7.65 ฿256
$12.84 ¥2,032
-40.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Japan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$555 ฿18.6K
$544 ¥86.2K
1.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿377.7K
$12.0K ¥1.9M
-6.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Japan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.4 ฿2,123
$46.82 ¥7,409
35.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.61 ฿958
$29.43 ¥4,657
-2.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.7 ฿3,238
$61.8 ¥9,774
56.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 ฿2,967
$78.2 ¥12.4K
13.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Japan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$735 ฿24.6K
$569 ¥90.1K
29.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$458 ฿15.3K
$390 ¥61.7K
17.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,102 ฿70.4K
$1,310 ¥207.4K
60.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,187 ฿39.7K
$770 ¥121.8K
54.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,493 ฿116.9K
$5,494 ¥869.3K
-36.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,491 ฿83.4K
$2,810 ¥444.6K
-11.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Japan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.8K
$2,077 ¥328.7K
-75.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
2.13
161.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Japan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$458
Japan
$390 14.8% $68
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$268
Japan
$315 17.4% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Japan
$213 70.1% $88
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$125
Japan
$97 22% $27
Eating Out
Phuket
$119
Japan
$134 12.3% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Japan
$78 15% $10
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Japan
$83 110% $43
Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇯🇵 Japan
🕒 Local time
15:22 3:22 PM
17:22 5:22 PM
2 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
125,440,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Japan 5,210 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Japan

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.
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