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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $1,299 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $2,016 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $2,732 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

Phuket is about 3% cheaper than Nishinomiya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Nishinomiya are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Nishinomiya 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$6.98 ¥1,116

-32.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$35.32 ¥5,650

28.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.78 ¥764

76.36%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.00 ¥480

-2.33%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.08 ¥173

-36.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.70 ¥112

-47.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.84 ¥454

-15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.03 ¥485

22.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.52 ¥243

46.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.72 ¥275

6.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$4.79 ¥766

-54.70%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.41 ¥385

-8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.57 ¥1,691

86.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.56 ¥1,209

-51.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$32.07 ¥5,130

-57.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$5.42 ¥867

-39.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.19 ¥350

-26.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.38 ¥541

-28.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$6.89 ¥1,102

-69.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.77 ¥283

-13.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.65 ¥423

-44.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.32 ¥211

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.84 ¥135

-39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.38 ¥540

30.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$9.31 ¥1,489

108.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.77 ¥444

-35.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.28 ¥365

18.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.28 ¥205

7.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$54.5 ¥8,712

-79.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.44 ¥550

-12.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$2.92 ¥467

-66.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$17.26 ¥2,761

-18.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.23 ¥196

10.57%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.4K ¥3.7M

20.38%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.3K ¥2.8M

90.71%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$133 ¥21.3K

-8.69%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$27.10 ¥4,335

-49.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$30.40 ¥4,863

-39.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$52.8 ¥8,441

14.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.65 ¥2,183

25.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$12.23 ¥1,957

-28.95%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$69.8 ¥11.2K

893.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$10.5K ¥1.7M

49.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$44.38 ¥7,098

34.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$28.99 ¥4,636

19.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$57.2 ¥9,144

100.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$92.5 ¥14.8K

-9.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$461 ¥73.8K

32.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$335 ¥53.5K

30.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$860 ¥137.5K

143.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$657 ¥105.0K

129.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,959 ¥313.4K

-74.07%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Nishinomiya: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $461 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 286% higher in Nishinomiya, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket versus $35.00 in Nishinomiya. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Phuket vs $378 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 – Nishinomiya is pricier by about 3%, 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 $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,949 in Nishinomiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, 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 $45.00 in Phuket and $35.00 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 $1,265 in Phuket and $1,299 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 Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Nishinomiya at $1,299. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nishinomiya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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