Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Okayama Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Okayama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $977 in Okayama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,568 in Okayama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,159 in Okayama.

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than in Okayama, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Okayama 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.19 ¥966

-28.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$26.38 ¥4,120

22.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$5.03 ¥785

77.53%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$1.81 ¥282

60.22%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.70 ¥109

25.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.69 ¥108

-30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$1.98 ¥310

18.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.89 ¥294

96.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.40 ¥219

33.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$0.63 ¥97.7

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$4.33 ¥677

-64.20%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.52 ¥237

38.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$15.67 ¥2,447

25.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.34 ¥991

-46.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$17.89 ¥2,795

-36.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$5.27 ¥823

-43.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$3.02 ¥472

-44.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$5.08 ¥793

-56.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$4.50 ¥703

-52.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.32 ¥362

-34.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$1.96 ¥305

-31.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.21 ¥189

-6.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.69 ¥108

-20.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.77 ¥589

13.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$9.85 ¥1,538

93.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.95 ¥305

-8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$1.96 ¥307

41.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$1.27 ¥199

75.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$52.3 ¥8,160

-56.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.17 ¥496

-4.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$2.55 ¥398

-60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$22.32 ¥3,486

-82.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.06 ¥166

40.57%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$21.8K ¥3.4M

21.76%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$15.7K ¥2.5M

71.80%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$73.5 ¥11.5K

39.41%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$14.36 ¥2,242

-21.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$25.82 ¥4,033

-32.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$25.65 ¥4,006

103.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$11.63 ¥1,816

-33.88%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$577 ¥90.1K

-2.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$15.0K ¥2.3M

-23.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$51.1 ¥7,973

23.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$36.56 ¥5,710

-19.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$63.0 ¥9,837

55.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$101 ¥15.8K

-12.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$343 ¥53.6K

114.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$195 ¥30.4K

147.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$657 ¥102.7K

220.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$445 ¥69.4K

175.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$1,389 ¥216.9K

-64.45%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Okayama: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $343 in Okayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Okayama pays 181% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Okayama. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $321, with Phuket 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 Okayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Okayama differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $977 including rent). Okayama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 181% lower in Okayama. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $343 in Okayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $977 in Okayama – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Okayama runs roughly 130% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $977 in Okayama versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Okayama but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Okayama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Okayama 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 Okayama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.