Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nagoya Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nagoya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,345 in Nagoya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,145 in Nagoya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,945 in Nagoya.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 6% less than in Nagoya, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Nagoya is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$6.80 ¥1,071

-34.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$35.26 ¥5,556

29.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.45 ¥859

60.73%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.09 ¥486

-3.88%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.21 ¥190

-42.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.76 ¥120

-48.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.02 ¥318

25.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.21 ¥506

16.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.60 ¥252

34.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.78 ¥280

2.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$4.90 ¥773

-55.51%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.22 ¥350

1.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$10.11 ¥1,593

97.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.39 ¥1,006

-43.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$15.13 ¥2,384

-10.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$8.93 ¥1,407

-63.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.88 ¥453

-43.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$4.08 ¥643

-42.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$5.86 ¥923

-64.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$3.97 ¥625

-60.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.64 ¥416

-44.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.38 ¥218

-28.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.42 ¥224

-66.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.53 ¥555

23.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$9.38 ¥1,478

97.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.78 ¥280

4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.14 ¥337

23.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.64 ¥259

-13.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$69.4 ¥10.9K

-83.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.53 ¥556

-10.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.85 ¥450

-63.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$17.54 ¥2,764

-20.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.22 ¥193

9.84%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$23.5K ¥3.7M

18.39%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$16.7K ¥2.6M

100.46%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$141 ¥22.3K

-12.98%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$26.86 ¥4,232

-48.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$33.67 ¥5,305

-45.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$55.7 ¥8,772

9.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$18.46 ¥2,908

-7.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$12.39 ¥1,952

-28.41%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$468 ¥73.7K

46.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$11.5K ¥1.8M

37.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$45.37 ¥7,149

30.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$29.91 ¥4,713

15.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$56.0 ¥8,827

105.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$91.7 ¥14.4K

-8.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$596 ¥93.9K

4.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$406 ¥64.0K

9.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,355 ¥213.4K

50.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$852 ¥134.2K

75.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,398 ¥377.9K

44.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,083 ¥170.6K

133.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,842 ¥290.3K

-73.21%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Nagoya: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $596 in Nagoya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nagoya pays 273% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Nagoya. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $349, 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 Nagoya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 273% lower in Nagoya. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $596 in Nagoya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 499% less than in Nagoya. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $468 in Nagoya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,345 in Nagoya, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Nagoya. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nagoya, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Nagoya 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Nagoya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.