Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nago, Okinawa

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Nago, Okinawa: $1,208 and $1,231 a month, rent and utilities included.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Nago, Okinawa
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Nago, Okinawa Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Nago, Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,231

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Nago, Okinawa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Nago, Okinawa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $1,231 in Nago, Okinawa, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Nago, Okinawa $1,231

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $1,923 in Nago, Okinawa, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Nago, Okinawa $1,923

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $2,614 in Nago, Okinawa, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Nago, Okinawa $2,614

Phuket is about 2% cheaper than Nago, Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Nago, Okinawa are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Nago, Okinawa 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$6.82 ¥1,077

-35.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$35.35 ¥5,586

-8.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.68 ¥898

54.23%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$3.03 ¥479

-6.60%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.10 ¥173

-18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.76 ¥121

-38.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.10 ¥332

21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.05 ¥482

25.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.52 ¥239

13.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.64 ¥259

-10.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$4.67 ¥738

-67.67%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.28 ¥361

-4.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$10.13 ¥1,601

94.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$6.15 ¥971

-45.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$15.49 ¥2,448

-27.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$5.36 ¥847

-46.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$2.55 ¥402

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$4.13 ¥652

-46.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$4.53 ¥716

-54.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$3.24 ¥511

-55.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$2.56 ¥404

-46.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.38 ¥217

-22.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.88 ¥140

-42.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.26 ¥674

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$6.50 ¥1,027

185.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.91 ¥302

-6.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.37 ¥375

20.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.58 ¥250

43.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$56.0 ¥8,840

-60.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$3.43 ¥542

-12.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$2.87 ¥454

-63.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$21.07 ¥3,329

-81.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.23 ¥194

17.89%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$23.5K ¥3.7M

12.06%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$16.9K ¥2.7M

59.84%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$139 ¥21.9K

-30.50%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$27.18 ¥4,294

-59.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$34.51 ¥5,452

-50.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$57.1 ¥9,012

-8.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$13.97 ¥2,207

-20.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$13.04 ¥2,061

-40.11%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$285 ¥45.0K

95.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$13.5K ¥2.1M

-14.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$43.95 ¥6,944

46.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$28.96 ¥4,575

-0.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$59.0 ¥9,328

61.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$92.2 ¥14.6K

-4.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$461 ¥72.8K

59.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$328 ¥51.9K

40.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$878 ¥138.6K

138.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$659 ¥104.1K

82.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,826 ¥446.5K

23.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,726 ¥272.6K

46.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.81

207.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nago, Okinawa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Nago, Okinawa

$328 26.7% 29% $134

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Nago, Okinawa

$306 24.9% 14.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Nago, Okinawa

$200 16.3% 60.9% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Nago, Okinawa

$101 8.2% 18.8% $23

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Nago, Okinawa

$132 10.7% 8.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Nago, Okinawa

$83 6.8% 22.6% $15

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Nago, Okinawa

$80 6.5% 103% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $461 in Nago, Okinawa. 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $35.00 in Nago, Okinawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $306 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇯🇵 Nago, Okinawa

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

03:01 3:01 AM

2 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

63,554

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Nago, Okinawa 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Nago, Okinawa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Nago, Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nago, Okinawa is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $1,847 in Nago, Okinawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 153% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $556 per month in Phuket and $285 in Nago, Okinawa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Nago, Okinawa at $1,231. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nago, Okinawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nago, Okinawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.