Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nishinomiya Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nishinomiya

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,253 per month in Phuket vs $1,237 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,043 per month in Phuket vs $1,938 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,833 per month in Phuket vs $2,640 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

Phuket costs about 1% more than Nishinomiya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Nishinomiya are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 9% lower, Nishinomiya 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$8.54 ¥1,333

-46.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$31.27 ¥4,885

4.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$4.90 ¥766

81.63%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.42 ¥377

15.70%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.22 ¥191

-27.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.72 ¥113

-31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.71 ¥424

-11.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.10 ¥485

19.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.48 ¥231

20.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.51 ¥236

-4.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$5.19 ¥810

-69.56%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.11 ¥330

0.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$9.40 ¥1,469

111.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$9.50 ¥1,484

-63.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$18.29 ¥2,858

-38.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$4.90 ¥765

-39.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.91 ¥298

-9.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$3.07 ¥480

-24.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$6.23 ¥973

-66.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$1.54 ¥241

-4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$2.43 ¥380

-44.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.26 ¥197

-12.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.83 ¥130

-31.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.87 ¥604

10.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$9.66 ¥1,509

90.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$2.36 ¥368

-20.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.13 ¥333

37.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$1.49 ¥232

48.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$48.37 ¥7,556

-52.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$3.08 ¥482

-1.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$2.88 ¥450

-62.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$15.79 ¥2,467

-75.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.10 ¥172

35.45%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$21.6K ¥3.4M

25.65%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$15.0K ¥2.4M

82.45%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$117 ¥18.2K

-11.99%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$23.45 ¥3,663

-53.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$30.12 ¥4,705

-41.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$63.4 ¥9,905

-15.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$11.48 ¥1,794

-34.84%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$501 ¥78.2K

11.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$12.7K ¥2.0M

-6.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$44.28 ¥6,918

44.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$30.37 ¥4,744

-4.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$60.3 ¥9,420

59.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$90.5 ¥14.1K

-0.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$435 ¥67.9K

67.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$297 ¥46.4K

68.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$909 ¥142.0K

130.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$783 ¥122.3K

54.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$4,053 ¥633.2K

-11.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,818 ¥284.0K

38.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$1,966 ¥307.1K

-74.39%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Nishinomiya: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $730 in Phuket versus $435 in Nishinomiya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 291% higher in Nishinomiya, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Phuket versus $31.00 in Nishinomiya. Groceries tell a different story – $273 in Phuket vs $329 in Nishinomiya – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Nishinomiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 1%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,880 per month in Phuket and $1,855 in Nishinomiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Phuket and $31.00 in Nishinomiya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,253 in Phuket and $1,237 in Nishinomiya. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nishinomiya, where all-in costs run around $1,237, than in Phuket at $1,253. In Nishinomiya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nishinomiya – 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 Nishinomiya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.