Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nara Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,274 in Nara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,904 in Nara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,535 in Nara.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 1% less than in Nara, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Nara 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$6.38 ¥979

-26.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$32.05 ¥4,922

0.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.10 ¥784

70.20%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.46 ¥377

17.89%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.28 ¥197

-34.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.76 ¥117

-35.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$3.22 ¥494

-22.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.16 ¥486

18.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.54 ¥237

22.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.32 ¥202

6.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$4.30 ¥660

-62.33%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.24 ¥344

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.05 ¥1,543

97.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$7.15 ¥1,097

-51.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$18.77 ¥2,882

-39.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.48 ¥534

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.04 ¥314

-15.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.12 ¥326

7.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$4.22 ¥648

-49.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.54 ¥237

-4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.15 ¥176

23.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.21 ¥186

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.87 ¥133

-31.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.96 ¥609

8.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$9.74 ¥1,496

90.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.99 ¥306

-9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.22 ¥342

33.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.58 ¥243

42.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$73.8 ¥11.3K

-68.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$3.21 ¥493

-3.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.84 ¥435

-61.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$15.91 ¥2,442

-75.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.08 ¥166

32.41%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$22.5K ¥3.5M

23.52%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$15.8K ¥2.4M

70.85%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$117 ¥17.9K

-10.17%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$25.23 ¥3,874

-54.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$31.22 ¥4,794

-43.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$85.6 ¥13.1K

-36.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$7.72 ¥1,185

48.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$12.23 ¥1,878

-36.39%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$521 ¥80.0K

10.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$13.2K ¥2.0M

-12.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$49.32 ¥7,573

29.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$31.12 ¥4,779

-6.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$61.1 ¥9,378

57.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$91.7 ¥14.1K

-1.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$414 ¥63.6K

77.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$346 ¥53.1K

44.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$847 ¥130.1K

150.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$553 ¥84.9K

126.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,786 ¥427.7K

26.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$2,019 ¥310.0K

29.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,139 ¥174.9K

-55.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.01

177.11%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Nara: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $414 in Nara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nara pays 124% 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 $32.00 in Nara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $292 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 Nara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 124% lower in Nara. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $414 in Nara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $32.00 in Nara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $1,274 in Nara – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,274 in Nara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Nara. 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 Nara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Nara 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 1% less than in Nara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.