Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Okinawa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Okinawa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $1,430 in Okinawa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $2,196 in Okinawa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $2,961 in Okinawa, rent included.

Phuket is about 12% cheaper than Okinawa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Okinawa is 7% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$8.57 ¥1,370

-45.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$41.32 ¥6,609

9.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.12 ¥978

37.75%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.31 ¥529

-11.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.32 ¥211

-47.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.86 ¥137

-56.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.48 ¥557

-30.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.81 ¥769

-22.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.87 ¥299

19.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$2.30 ¥367

-20.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$4.83 ¥772

-55.07%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.01 ¥321

9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$16.33 ¥2,613

20.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$11.13 ¥1,780

-67.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$26.95 ¥4,310

-49.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$5.27 ¥842

-37.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.61 ¥418

-38.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.03 ¥485

-20.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$5.65 ¥904

-63.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$3.69 ¥590

-58.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.90 ¥464

-48.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.60 ¥256

-38.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.94 ¥151

-45.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.82 ¥771

-8.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$6.11 ¥978

217.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.72 ¥275

3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.89 ¥461

-6.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.67 ¥268

-17.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$35.27 ¥5,642

-67.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$4.19 ¥671

-27.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$3.77 ¥603

-73.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$12.74 ¥2,037

10.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.20 ¥192

13.33%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

23.71%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.0K ¥2.7M

93.81%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$173 ¥27.7K

-29.64%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$27.72 ¥4,434

-51.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$32.51 ¥5,200

-43.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$53.4 ¥8,547

12.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$6.76 ¥1,081

153.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$12.60 ¥2,016

-31.03%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$347 ¥55.5K

99.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

16.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$48.84 ¥7,813

21.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$29.28 ¥4,683

18.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$72.9 ¥11.7K

57.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$93.1 ¥14.9K

-10.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$437 ¥69.9K

40.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$394 ¥63.1K

10.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$944 ¥150.9K

121.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$750 ¥119.9K

101.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$8,543 ¥1.4M

-56.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,187 ¥189.8K

120.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,292 ¥206.6K

-60.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

166.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $437 in Okinawa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 154% higher in Okinawa, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket versus $41.00 in Okinawa. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Phuket vs $398 in Okinawa – 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 Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Okinawa is pricier by about 13%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $2,145 in Okinawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket and $41.00 in Okinawa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,265 in Phuket and $1,430 in Okinawa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Okinawa at $1,430. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Okinawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Okinawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.