Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Otsu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Otsu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,353 in Otsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,946 in Otsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,539 in Otsu.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 6% less than in Otsu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Otsu 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$8.97 ¥1,378

-48.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$32.16 ¥4,939

0.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.06 ¥777

71.54%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.18 ¥489

-8.81%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.27 ¥194

-33.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.85 ¥131

-42.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$3.18 ¥488

-22.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$4.61 ¥707

-19.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.55 ¥237

21.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.58 ¥242

-10.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$4.55 ¥699

-64.40%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.29 ¥351

-2.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$16.29 ¥2,501

21.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.63 ¥1,018

-47.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$17.39 ¥2,670

-34.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$5.07 ¥778

-42.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.64 ¥405

-34.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$5.07 ¥779

-55.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$4.42 ¥678

-51.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.23 ¥342

-34.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.91 ¥293

-25.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.17 ¥180

-5.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.90 ¥139

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.00 ¥613

7.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$9.71 ¥1,491

91.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.13 ¥327

-15.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.22 ¥341

33.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.52 ¥233

48.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$60.8 ¥9,332

-61.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$3.26 ¥501

-4.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.97 ¥456

-63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$28.77 ¥4,418

-86.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.13 ¥174

26.55%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$22.5K ¥3.5M

23.25%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$15.4K ¥2.4M

75.18%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$120 ¥18.4K

-12.54%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$24.17 ¥3,712

-52.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$32.09 ¥4,927

-45.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$53.1 ¥8,159

2.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$9.90 ¥1,519

15.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$12.86 ¥1,974

-39.50%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$585 ¥89.9K

-1.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$13.0K ¥2.0M

-10.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$56.8 ¥8,724

12.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$36.65 ¥5,628

-20.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$69.7 ¥10.7K

38.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$102 ¥15.7K

-12.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$454 ¥69.8K

61.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$375 ¥57.6K

33.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$658 ¥101.0K

223.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$480 ¥73.7K

160.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$4,448 ¥683.0K

-20.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$2,019 ¥310.0K

29.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,871 ¥287.3K

-72.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.1

165.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Otsu: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $454 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Otsu pays 269% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Otsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $337 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Otsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Otsu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 269% lower in Otsu. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $454 in Otsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $585 in Otsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Otsu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,353 in Otsu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Otsu. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Otsu 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 7% less than in Otsu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.