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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,027 in Okayama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,676 in Okayama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,325 in Okayama.

Living in Phuket is roughly 23% more expensive than Okayama, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Okayama 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$7.08 ¥1,132

-35.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$27.29 ¥4,365

70.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.02 ¥963

40.70%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.86 ¥297

62.90%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.74 ¥118

-6.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.72 ¥115

-48.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.05 ¥328

21.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.07 ¥331

76.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.50 ¥239

45.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.70 ¥112

171.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$4.91 ¥786

-55.19%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.63 ¥260

36.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$16.89 ¥2,701

18.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.84 ¥1,093

-46.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$15.62 ¥2,499

-15.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$5.49 ¥878

-41.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.76 ¥442

-38.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$4.82 ¥771

-50.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$4.78 ¥765

-56.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.37 ¥379

-32.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.10 ¥335

-29.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.37 ¥220

-24.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.79 ¥127

-34.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.40 ¥544

25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$9.61 ¥1,537

95.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.11 ¥338

-16.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.03 ¥324

35.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.65 ¥264

-17.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$56.2 ¥8,990

-79.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.38 ¥540

-7.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.70 ¥432

-61.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$23.41 ¥3,745

-41.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.09 ¥174

22.94%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$23.4K ¥3.7M

18.53%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$17.0K ¥2.7M

98.71%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$79.6 ¥12.7K

55.21%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$15.12 ¥2,418

-10.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$28.01 ¥4,479

-33.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$55.6 ¥8,894

11.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$14.12 ¥2,258

22.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$12.28 ¥1,965

-25.57%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$471 ¥75.3K

49.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$11.2K ¥1.8M

41.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$46.24 ¥7,396

28.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$31.76 ¥5,079

10.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$56.4 ¥9,015

104.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$91.9 ¥14.7K

-8.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$366 ¥58.5K

69.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$208 ¥33.3K

107.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$722 ¥115.5K

185.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$461 ¥73.7K

227.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,385 ¥221.5K

-63.38%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Okayama: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $366 in Okayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Okayama pays 173% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Okayama. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $327, 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 23% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $1,027 including rent). Okayama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Okayama earns 173% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $366 in Okayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $1,027 in Okayama – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Okayama runs roughly 395% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,027 in Okayama versus $1,261 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 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.