Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Narita Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Narita

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,268 in Narita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,951 in Narita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,635 in Narita.

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and Narita; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Narita 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.65 ¥891

-20.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$41.07 ¥6,471

11.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.95 ¥781

76.97%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.19 ¥503

-6.90%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.80 ¥127

-13.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.76 ¥120

-48.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.14 ¥337

18.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.05 ¥480

22.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.23 ¥194

74.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.88 ¥139

106.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$5.04 ¥794

-56.75%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.29 ¥360

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$10.27 ¥1,618

94.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.19 ¥975

-41.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$15.22 ¥2,399

-10.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$6.05 ¥953

-46.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$3.13 ¥493

-47.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$3.91 ¥616

-40.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$6.13 ¥965

-66.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$3.34 ¥526

-53.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$4.19 ¥661

-65.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.37 ¥217

-28.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.88 ¥139

-45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.23 ¥509

34.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$9.02 ¥1,421

105.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.84 ¥290

1.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.11 ¥332

25.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.66 ¥262

-14.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$55.6 ¥8,762

-79.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.45 ¥544

-8.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.61 ¥254

-36.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$22.48 ¥3,542

-38.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.12 ¥176

19.64%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$20.6K ¥3.2M

35.07%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$18.4K ¥2.9M

81.89%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$144 ¥22.8K

-14.83%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$27.91 ¥4,397

-50.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$31.60 ¥4,980

-41.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$55.6 ¥8,764

9.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$14.09 ¥2,220

21.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$12.42 ¥1,956

-28.58%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$287 ¥45.2K

139.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$14.0K ¥2.2M

12.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$42.25 ¥6,658

40.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$29.56 ¥4,658

17.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$61.2 ¥9,639

88.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$112 ¥17.6K

-25.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$503 ¥79.3K

23.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$351 ¥55.4K

26.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$875 ¥137.8K

132.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$672 ¥105.9K

122.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$4,599 ¥724.6K

-24.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,326 ¥366.5K

8.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,218 ¥191.9K

-59.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.05

160.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Narita: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $503 in Narita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Narita pays 147% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $41.00 in Narita. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $319, 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 Narita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 147% lower in Narita. 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 $503 in Narita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 381% less than in Narita. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Narita. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,268 in Narita, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Narita. 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 Narita, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Narita are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Narita on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.