Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Oita Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Oita

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $968 in Oita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,610 in Oita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,253 in Oita.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Oita, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Oita 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$4.96 ¥775

-8.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$42.11 ¥6,579

-22.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$5.74 ¥896

55.05%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.94 ¥302

44.33%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.06 ¥166

-16.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.61 ¥95.8

-19.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$3.20 ¥500

-25.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.14 ¥335

73.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.32 ¥206

35.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.24 ¥194

16.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$6.22 ¥972

-74.60%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.19 ¥342

-2.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$3.05 ¥477

553.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$5.46 ¥853

-37.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$12.55 ¥1,960

-9.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$2.19 ¥342

34.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.27 ¥198

35.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.58 ¥247

46.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.00 ¥312

4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$1.24 ¥194

18.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$1.28 ¥200

6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.91 ¥142

20.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.98 ¥153

-41.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.80 ¥594

12.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$6.27 ¥980

193.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.58 ¥246

18.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.88 ¥293

55.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$1.48 ¥231

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$55.6 ¥8,682

-58.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$4.02 ¥627

-24.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$2.02 ¥315

-47.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$17.55 ¥2,742

-77.61%

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

$21.2K ¥3.3M

27.75%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$17.0K ¥2.7M

61.39%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$49.78 ¥7,776

106.51%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$25.01 ¥3,908

-56.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$32.56 ¥5,086

-46.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$49.61 ¥7,750

7.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$9.50 ¥1,485

-21.26%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$123 ¥19.3K

351.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$12.1K ¥1.9M

-2.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$37.43 ¥5,848

71.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$23.59 ¥3,685

23.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$59.4 ¥9,275

61.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$46.28 ¥7,230

95.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$468 ¥73.0K

56.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$320 ¥50.0K

56.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,076 ¥168.1K

94.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$717 ¥112.0K

68.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$4,407 ¥688.4K

-18.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,908 ¥298.1K

31.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$992 ¥154.9K

-49.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.97

182.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Oita: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $468 in Oita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oita pays 97% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Oita. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $214, with Oita 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 Oita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oita wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Oita the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 97% lower in Oita. 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: $730 in Phuket versus $468 in Oita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $123 in Oita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $968 in Oita versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oita but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Oita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Oita delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $968 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Oita hard to pass up.

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

Expats usually find Oita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.