Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Obihiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Obihiro: $1,220 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $890 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Phuket, Thailand
Obihiro, Japan
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Obihiro
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,220
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Obihiro

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Obihiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $1,220 in Obihiro, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Obihiro $1,220

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $1,910 in Obihiro, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Obihiro $1,910

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $2,600 in Obihiro, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Obihiro $2,600

Phuket costs about 6% more than Obihiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Phuket and Obihiro are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Obihiro 10% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Obihiro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿147
$7.76 ¥1,222
-43.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,080
$31.28 ¥4,927
3.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿291
$5.12 ¥807
69.92%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.1
$3.03 ¥477
-10.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.11
$1.10 ¥174
-15.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.70
$1.63 ¥257
-69.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿84.6
$2.60 ¥410
-2.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿121
$3.26 ¥513
11.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Obihiro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.2
$1.54 ¥242
12.99%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.51
$1.61 ¥254
-9.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.2
$4.29 ¥675
-65.03%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.6
$2.11 ¥332
2.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿638
$10.26 ¥1,616
86.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿114
$6.40 ¥1,009
-46.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿364
$16.93 ¥2,666
-35.62%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿98.3
$3.77 ¥594
-22.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.6
$2.30 ¥362
-26.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.4
$2.95 ¥464
-25.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.0
$4.24 ¥668
-50.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿48.77
$2.37 ¥374
-38.40%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿45.74
$2.60 ¥410
-47.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿35.98
$1.28 ¥202
-15.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.24
$0.85 ¥134
-35.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿148
$3.86 ¥608
14.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿610
$6.55 ¥1,032
178.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.3
$1.80 ¥283
-1.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿96.3
$2.19 ¥345
31.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Obihiro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.40
$1.43 ¥225
1.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,835
$56.2 ¥8,844
-2.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$3.19 ¥503
-52.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿25.94
$2.83 ¥445
-72.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿128
$18.39 ¥2,897
-79.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.74
$1.08 ¥169
37.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿898.9K
$21.7K ¥3.4M
23.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿881.0K
$15.1K ¥2.4M
74.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Obihiro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,271
$134 ¥21.1K
-27.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿378
$24.76 ¥3,899
-54.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿575
$31.04 ¥4,889
-44.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Obihiro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,285
$52.1 ¥8,199
31.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿365
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿248
$12.69 ¥1,998
-41.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Obihiro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.7K
$706 ¥111.1K
-24.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿628.1K
$12.8K ¥2.0M
46.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Obihiro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,062
$49.08 ¥7,730
25.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿945
$31.92 ¥5,027
-11.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,210
$61.0 ¥9,600
57.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,903
$91.1 ¥14.3K
-4.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Obihiro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.1K
$557 ¥87.7K
29.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.0K
$333 ¥52.5K
52.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.2K
$1,035 ¥162.9K
88.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿46.7K
$711 ¥111.9K
96.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿140.2K
$4,283 ¥674.5K
-2.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿110.3K
$2,274 ¥358.1K
45.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Obihiro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
2.21
152.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Obihiro: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Obihiro
$333 34.5% $175
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Obihiro
$290 8.8% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Obihiro
$190 50.3% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Obihiro
$105 14.6% $18
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Obihiro
$144 20.7% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Obihiro
$77 6.9% $5.8
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Obihiro
$79 19.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $557 in Obihiro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $31 in Obihiro. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Phuket vs $290 in Obihiro – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇯🇵 Obihiro
🕒 Local time
09:53 9:53 AM
11:53 11:53 AM
2 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
166,536
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 157 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Obihiro 5,840 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Obihiro

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Obihiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Obihiro compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,294 in Phuket, $1,220 in Obihiro – Obihiro comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Obihiro?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $1,829 in Obihiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Obihiro?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Obihiro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $557 there versus $721 in Phuket.
Which city is more expensive overall: Phuket or Obihiro?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $1,220 in Obihiro. That makes Obihiro about 6% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Phuket and Obihiro?
Kindergarten costs $530 per month in Phuket and $706 in Obihiro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $2,000 go in Phuket compared to Obihiro?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,294 in Phuket and $1,220 in Obihiro, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Obihiro?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,220 in Obihiro to $1,294 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Phuket or Obihiro safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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