Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nagano Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nagano

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $1,176 in Nagano, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,896 in Nagano, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $2,616 in Nagano, rent included.

Phuket costs about 8% more than Nagano, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Nagano are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Nagano 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$6.76 ¥1,082

-30.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$35.32 ¥5,650

28.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.09 ¥655

106.11%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.51 ¥562

-16.52%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.09 ¥174

-36.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.64 ¥102

-42.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.10 ¥336

14.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.06 ¥330

80.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.25 ¥200

78.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.22 ¥194

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$4.67 ¥748

-53.53%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.52 ¥243

45.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$12.24 ¥1,957

61.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$12.25 ¥1,959

-70.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$16.89 ¥2,702

-19.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$7.52 ¥1,202

-56.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.57 ¥412

-37.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$4.55 ¥729

-47.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.44 ¥710

-53.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$3.73 ¥597

-58.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$3.60 ¥575

-58.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.07 ¥171

-7.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.66 ¥106

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$5.58 ¥892

-20.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$9.13 ¥1,460

112.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.50 ¥399

-28.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$3.56 ¥570

-23.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.49 ¥238

-8.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$56.0 ¥8,960

-79.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.14 ¥502

-3.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$3.00 ¥480

-67.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$20.41 ¥3,265

-30.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.16 ¥185

17.24%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.8K ¥3.8M

18.48%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.4K ¥2.8M

89.42%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$82.9 ¥13.3K

46.84%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$29.54 ¥4,724

-54.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$17.05 ¥2,728

7.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$56.0 ¥8,949

7.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.08 ¥2,253

21.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$11.51 ¥1,841

-24.50%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$281 ¥45.0K

146.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$13.3K ¥2.1M

17.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$44.14 ¥7,060

34.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$29.58 ¥4,731

17.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$60.2 ¥9,630

90.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$96.0 ¥15.3K

-13.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$483 ¥77.2K

27.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$275 ¥43.9K

59.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$854 ¥136.6K

145.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$665 ¥106.4K

126.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$633 ¥101.3K

-19.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

166.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Nagano: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $483 in Nagano. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 25% higher in Nagano, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket versus $35.00 in Nagano. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Phuket vs $360 in Nagano – 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 Nagano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 8% more than Nagano, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,764 in Nagano. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nagano, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket and $35.00 in Nagano. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,265 in Phuket and $1,176 in Nagano. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nagano, where all-in costs run around $1,176, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Nagano it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nagano costs $1,176 versus $1,265 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Nagano. 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.