Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Koriyama Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Koriyama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,249 in Koriyama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,928 in Koriyama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,606 in Koriyama.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than Koriyama, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Koriyama 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$6.87 ¥1,102

-31.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,488

$34.91 ¥5,595

29.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.35 ¥857

57.57%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.0

$3.03 ¥486

-3.30%

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

$0.69 ฿22.48

$1.07 ¥172

-35.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.75 ¥121

-50.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.58 ¥414

-6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.10 ¥497

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.2

$1.60 ¥256

39.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$1.58 ¥253

15.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$4.74 ¥759

-54.22%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$2.21 ¥354

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿647

$10.03 ¥1,609

96.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.25 ¥1,002

-41.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$15.41 ¥2,470

-12.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$5.42 ¥869

-39.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.8

$2.54 ¥408

-36.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$4.11 ¥659

-41.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$5.71 ¥916

-63.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.1

$3.16 ¥507

-51.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.56

$2.64 ¥424

-43.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.42

$1.38 ¥221

-28.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.73

$0.83 ¥133

-38.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.23 ¥679

4.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$7.33 ¥1,175

164.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.3

$1.85 ¥296

-3.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.9

$2.25 ¥361

20.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.96

$1.60 ¥257

-14.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$55.7 ¥8,933

-79.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.0

$3.42 ¥548

-11.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.61

$2.98 ¥478

-66.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿462

$20.68 ¥3,315

-31.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$1.18 ¥189

15.25%

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

$28.2K ฿924.7K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

20.05%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.4K ¥2.8M

88.86%

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

$122 ฿3,991

$144 ¥23.1K

-15.49%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$26.95 ¥4,319

-49.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿600

$34.34 ¥5,505

-46.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,975

$55.3 ¥8,865

8.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$14.04 ¥2,250

22.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$12.63 ¥2,025

-31.20%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$277 ¥44.5K

149.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.4K

$13.6K ¥2.2M

15.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,952

$43.85 ¥7,029

35.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,140

$29.35 ¥4,705

18.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,758

$60.2 ¥9,648

90.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,731

$93.1 ¥14.9K

-10.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$477 ¥76.4K

28.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$333 ¥53.4K

31.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$857 ¥137.4K

144.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$653 ¥104.7K

131.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.9K

$5,244 ¥840.6K

-28.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$2,162 ¥346.6K

20.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Koriyama: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $477 in Koriyama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Koriyama. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $313, 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 Koriyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Koriyama differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,249 including rent). Koriyama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,873 in Koriyama 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 $477 in Koriyama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Koriyama runs roughly 389% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $277 in Koriyama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,249 in Koriyama versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koriyama but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Koriyama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Koriyama 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 Koriyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.