Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Osaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Osaka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,352 in Osaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,031 in Osaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,710 in Osaka.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 9% less than in Osaka, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Osaka is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.95 ¥1,113

-33.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$34.82 ¥5,574

34.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.95 ¥792

78.59%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.32 ¥532

-9.64%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.09 ¥174

-32.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.72 ¥116

-48.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.79 ¥447

-12.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.37 ¥699

-17.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.58 ¥254

43.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.47 ¥236

25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$4.65 ¥744

-51.83%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.36 ¥378

-1.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.40 ¥1,665

89.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.50 ¥1,040

-43.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$19.26 ¥3,083

-31.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.63 ¥582

-6.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.09 ¥335

-21.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.47 ¥395

-2.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.35 ¥696

-53.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.65 ¥264

-5.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.30 ¥208

15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.34 ¥214

-23.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.84 ¥135

-41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.81 ¥609

16.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$9.20 ¥1,473

105.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.08 ¥332

-14.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.98 ¥477

-7.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.58 ¥253

-11.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$35.89 ¥5,746

-68.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.49 ¥718

-30.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$3.39 ¥542

-70.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$23.90 ¥3,826

-41.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.23 ¥197

9.76%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$23.4K ¥3.7M

16.19%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.2K ¥2.8M

91.09%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$130 ¥20.9K

-4.15%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$27.23 ¥4,358

-50.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$30.85 ¥4,938

-39.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$58.6 ¥9,374

4.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$20.43 ¥3,271

-17.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$12.38 ¥1,981

-25.77%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$69.4 ¥11.1K

906.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$10.4K ¥1.7M

49.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$43.94 ¥7,034

31.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$29.63 ¥4,743

18.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$68.8 ¥11.0K

64.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$94.8 ¥15.2K

-8.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$733 ¥117.3K

-15.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$467 ¥74.8K

-4.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,275 ¥204.1K

60.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$822 ¥131.7K

81.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$5,986 ¥958.2K

-36.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$2,086 ¥333.9K

26.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,989 ¥318.4K

-73.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.81

194.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Osaka: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $733 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 280% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Osaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $300, 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 Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Osaka differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,352 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Osaka earns 280% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $733 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 213% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $69.4 in Osaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,352 in Osaka, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Osaka 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.