Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Obihiro Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Obihiro

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,253 per month in Phuket vs $1,216 in Obihiro, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,043 per month in Phuket vs $1,936 in Obihiro, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,833 per month in Phuket vs $2,656 in Obihiro, rent included.

Phuket costs about 3% more than Obihiro, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Phuket and Obihiro are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 9% lower, Obihiro 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$7.91 ¥1,235

-42.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$31.45 ¥4,914

3.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$4.92 ¥768

80.89%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.86 ¥446

-2.10%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.09 ¥170

-19.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$1.52 ¥238

-67.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.56 ¥400

-6.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.41 ¥533

8.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.50 ¥234

19.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.51 ¥236

-4.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$4.13 ¥646

-61.74%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.02 ¥316

5.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$11.03 ¥1,722

80.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$6.83 ¥1,066

-49.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$15.97 ¥2,495

-29.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$5.39 ¥843

-45.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$2.34 ¥365

-26.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$2.66 ¥416

-12.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$4.37 ¥682

-52.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$2.32 ¥362

-36.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$2.48 ¥387

-45.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.27 ¥199

-13.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.76 ¥119

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.61 ¥565

18.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$8.16 ¥1,274

125.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.93 ¥302

-3.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.37 ¥369

23.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$1.43 ¥224

55.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$55.3 ¥8,632

-58.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$3.16 ¥493

-4.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$2.78 ¥434

-61.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$20.49 ¥3,201

-80.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.23 ¥192

21.14%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$23.3K ¥3.6M

16.60%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$17.0K ¥2.7M

61.04%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$129 ¥20.1K

-20.30%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$24.08 ¥3,762

-54.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$30.48 ¥4,762

-42.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$47.11 ¥7,360

13.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$13.57 ¥2,120

-44.88%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$501 ¥78.3K

11.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$12.3K ¥1.9M

-3.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$48.45 ¥7,569

32.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$33.62 ¥5,252

-13.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$61.3 ¥9,570

56.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$83.3 ¥13.0K

8.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$462 ¥72.2K

57.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$321 ¥50.2K

55.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,113 ¥173.8K

87.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$677 ¥105.7K

78.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$4,540 ¥709.2K

-20.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,950 ¥304.6K

28.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.06

170.39%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Obihiro: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $730 in Phuket versus $462 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 $33.00 in Phuket versus $31.00 in Obihiro. Groceries tell a different story – $273 in Phuket vs $300 in Obihiro – 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 Obihiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,253 in Phuket, $1,216 in Obihiro – roughly 3% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,880 per month in Phuket and $1,824 in Obihiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Phuket – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

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

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Obihiro, where all-in costs run around $1,216, than in Phuket at $1,253. In Obihiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,216 in Obihiro to $1,253 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Obihiro. 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.