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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $1,172 in Nagano, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $1,938 in Nagano, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $2,704 in Nagano, rent included.

Phuket costs about 7% 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

$4.55 ฿153

$6.78 ¥1,101

-32.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$34.31 ¥5,575

34.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.06 ¥660

117.73%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.56 ¥579

-14.04%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.14 ¥185

-35.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.64 ¥104

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.04 ¥332

19.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.09 ¥340

80.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.26 ¥205

79.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.27 ¥207

42.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.74 ¥771

-52.53%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.58 ¥257

42.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$12.22 ¥1,986

59.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$12.22 ¥1,986

-70.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$16.77 ¥2,724

-22.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$7.83 ¥1,273

-58.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.54 ¥412

-36.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$4.62 ¥750

-48.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$4.64 ¥754

-56.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$3.62 ¥588

-57.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.59 ¥584

-58.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.03 ¥167

-4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.72 ¥117

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$5.46 ¥887

-18.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.13 ¥1,484

100.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.50 ¥407

-25.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$3.50 ¥568

-23.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.44 ¥234

-2.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$55.2 ¥8,961

-78.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.04 ¥493

2.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$3.03 ¥492

-65.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$21.20 ¥3,444

-33.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.20 ¥194

9.17%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$24.3K ¥3.9M

14.44%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$17.4K ¥2.8M

91.41%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$84.1 ¥13.7K

45.55%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$29.98 ¥4,872

-54.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$17.64 ¥2,866

6.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$54.5 ¥8,858

10.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.83 ¥2,248

22.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$11.35 ¥1,845

-20.09%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$279 ¥45.3K

153.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$13.6K ¥2.2M

16.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$44.59 ¥7,245

31.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$29.09 ¥4,726

21.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$58.9 ¥9,576

95.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$95.3 ¥15.5K

-12.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$481 ¥78.2K

29.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$279 ¥45.3K

59.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$853 ¥138.6K

139.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$661 ¥107.5K

125.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$621 ¥101.0K

-19.57%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Nagano: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $481 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 24% 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $34.00 in Nagano. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Phuket vs $363 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 7% 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 $1,875 per month in Phuket and $1,759 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 $46.00 in Phuket and $34.00 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 $1,250 in Phuket and $1,172 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 $1,172, than in Phuket at $1,250. 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 $1,172 versus $1,250 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.