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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,383 in Nagoya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,191 in Nagoya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,000 in Nagoya.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 11% less than in Nagoya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Nagoya is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$8.52 ¥1,330

-48.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$32.95 ¥5,146

-2.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$5.07 ¥791

76.13%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.55 ¥399

13.73%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.32 ¥207

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.91 ¥142

-47.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$3.19 ¥498

-26.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.25 ¥508

14.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.60 ¥249

16.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.54 ¥240

-4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$4.25 ¥664

-63.53%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.19 ¥341

-4.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$16.44 ¥2,567

19.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$7.32 ¥1,143

-53.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$17.32 ¥2,704

-34.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$8.41 ¥1,314

-64.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$3.13 ¥489

-46.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$5.02 ¥784

-55.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$7.91 ¥1,236

-72.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$4.20 ¥656

-63.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$4.80 ¥749

-72.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.16 ¥181

-2.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.94 ¥147

-41.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.95 ¥618

7.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$9.86 ¥1,540

93.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.56 ¥400

-30.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.20 ¥343

26.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$1.60 ¥251

39.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$93.4 ¥14.6K

-75.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.31 ¥518

-8.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$2.97 ¥464

-65.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$15.97 ¥2,495

-75.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.08 ¥169

37.96%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$22.4K ¥3.5M

18.49%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$15.6K ¥2.4M

72.75%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$117 ¥18.2K

-12.08%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$24.27 ¥3,791

-53.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$31.71 ¥4,952

-45.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$52.5 ¥8,197

-0.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$14.20 ¥2,218

-22.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$11.57 ¥1,806

-33.54%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$584 ¥91.3K

-4.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

-24.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$52.5 ¥8,199

20.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$36.05 ¥5,630

-18.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$61.9 ¥9,669

58.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$99.6 ¥15.6K

-11.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$535 ¥83.5K

38.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$365 ¥57.0K

32.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$1,228 ¥191.7K

71.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$743 ¥116.1K

64.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$2,073 ¥323.8K

74.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,088 ¥169.9K

139.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$2,006 ¥313.3K

-75.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.66

235.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Nagoya: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $535 in Nagoya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nagoya pays 306% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Nagoya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $391 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 306% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $535 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 311% less than in Nagoya. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $584 in Nagoya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,383 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 12% less than in Nagoya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.