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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,225 in Koriyama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,909 in Koriyama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,594 in Koriyama.

Living in Phuket is roughly 2% more expensive than in Koriyama, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Koriyama 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$7.04 ¥1,143

-35.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$34.70 ¥5,639

33.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.25 ¥853

68.38%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.05 ¥496

0.33%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.06 ¥172

-31.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.76 ¥124

-47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.55 ¥414

-4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.08 ¥500

22.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.60 ¥260

41.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.57 ¥255

15.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.88 ¥793

-53.89%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.29 ¥371

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.99 ¥1,623

95.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.51 ¥1,057

-43.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$15.31 ¥2,487

-14.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$5.46 ¥887

-40.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.63 ¥428

-38.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$3.95 ¥641

-39.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$5.86 ¥952

-65.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$3.06 ¥497

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.58 ¥419

-41.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.32 ¥214

-25.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.83 ¥135

-37.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.14 ¥673

7.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.29 ¥1,184

151.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.86 ¥302

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.25 ¥366

19.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.64 ¥267

-14.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$55.6 ¥9,028

-78.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.41 ¥555

-8.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$3.00 ¥488

-65.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$20.74 ¥3,370

-31.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.19 ¥193

10.08%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$23.4K ¥3.8M

18.78%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$17.5K ¥2.9M

89.37%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$146 ¥23.7K

-16.03%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$26.97 ¥4,382

-49.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$33.93 ¥5,513

-44.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$55.5 ¥9,011

9.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$14.09 ¥2,289

20.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$12.44 ¥2,021

-27.09%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$282 ¥45.9K

150.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$13.3K ¥2.2M

18.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$43.45 ¥7,060

34.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$29.86 ¥4,851

18.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$59.4 ¥9,657

94.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$92.3 ¥15.0K

-9.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$475 ¥77.1K

31.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$324 ¥52.7K

37.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$872 ¥141.7K

133.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$658 ¥106.9K

126.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$4,832 ¥785.2K

-27.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,187 ¥355.3K

17.81%

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 Koriyama: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $475 in Koriyama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Koriyama. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 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 Koriyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Koriyama differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $1,225 including rent). Koriyama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,837 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: $626 in Phuket versus $475 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 375% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $282 in Koriyama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,225 in Koriyama versus $1,250 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 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.