Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Morioka Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Morioka

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $1,225 in Morioka, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $1,929 in Morioka, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $2,633 in Morioka, rent included.

Phuket costs about 2% more than Morioka, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Phuket and Morioka are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Morioka 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$7.04 ¥1,144

-35.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$34.74 ¥5,644

32.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.35 ¥869

65.23%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.08 ¥500

-0.65%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.06 ¥173

-31.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.81 ¥132

-50.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.67 ¥434

-8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.20 ¥519

18.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.52 ¥246

48.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.60 ¥260

13.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.80 ¥780

-53.13%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.20 ¥358

2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.26 ¥1,668

90.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.50 ¥1,056

-43.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$15.62 ¥2,539

-16.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$5.45 ¥886

-40.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.54 ¥413

-36.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$4.09 ¥664

-41.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$5.83 ¥947

-65.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$3.14 ¥510

-51.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.57 ¥418

-41.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.40 ¥227

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.88 ¥143

-40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.24 ¥690

4.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.61 ¥1,237

140.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.91 ¥310

-2.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.27 ¥368

18.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.60 ¥260

-11.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$55.9 ¥9,089

-79.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.44 ¥559

-9.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$2.92 ¥475

-64.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$21.15 ¥3,437

-33.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.20 ¥195

9.17%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$22.9K ¥3.7M

21.27%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$17.5K ¥2.8M

89.80%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$143 ¥23.2K

-14.16%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$27.37 ¥4,447

-50.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$33.59 ¥5,457

-44.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$55.8 ¥9,063

8.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.93 ¥2,264

21.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$12.54 ¥2,037

-27.67%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$286 ¥46.5K

146.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

19.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$43.77 ¥7,111

33.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$30.01 ¥4,875

17.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$60.8 ¥9,879

89.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$91.5 ¥14.9K

-8.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$460 ¥74.7K

36.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$334 ¥54.2K

33.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$851 ¥138.3K

139.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$669 ¥108.7K

123.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$4,706 ¥764.6K

-26.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,114 ¥343.4K

21.91%

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 Morioka: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $460 in Morioka. 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 $35.00 in Morioka. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Phuket vs $317 in Morioka – 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 Morioka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,250 in Phuket, $1,225 in Morioka – roughly 2% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $1,837 in Morioka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Morioka, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $35.00 in Morioka. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Morioka, where all-in costs run around $1,225, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Morioka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,225 in Morioka to $1,250 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Morioka. 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.