Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Otsu

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Otsu: $1,278 and $1,297 a month, rent and utilities included.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Otsu
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Otsu Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Otsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Otsu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Otsu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,297 in Otsu.

Phuket $1,278
Otsu $1,297

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,890 in Otsu.

Phuket $2,216
Otsu $1,890

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,482 in Otsu.

Phuket $3,154
Otsu $2,482

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and Otsu; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Otsu 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$8.43 ¥1,330

-46.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$31.93 ¥5,041

1.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.13 ¥810

71.73%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$3.12 ¥493

-9.29%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.18 ¥187

-26.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.90 ¥142

-45.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$3.19 ¥504

-19.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.51 ¥712

-18.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.53 ¥242

8.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.55 ¥245

-5.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.52 ¥714

-66.81%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.14 ¥338

-2.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$15.67 ¥2,474

21.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.88 ¥1,086

-52.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$17.21 ¥2,717

-36.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$4.95 ¥781

-40.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$2.49 ¥392

-32.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.97 ¥784

-54.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$4.42 ¥698

-52.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.20 ¥348

-31.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.87 ¥295

-26.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.19 ¥187

-10.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.87 ¥137

-40.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.97 ¥626

5.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$9.69 ¥1,529

93.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.06 ¥325

-11.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.19 ¥345

29.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$1.49 ¥235

-2.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$57.5 ¥9,077

-1.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.26 ¥514

-7.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$2.85 ¥449

-64.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$28.41 ¥4,485

-87.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.12 ¥177

31.25%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$22.2K ¥3.5M

20.80%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$15.3K ¥2.4M

74.87%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$118 ¥18.6K

-18.15%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$23.18 ¥3,660

-51.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$30.70 ¥4,848

-45.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$50.9 ¥8,039

32.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$9.46 ¥1,493

13.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$12.85 ¥2,029

-41.63%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$700 ¥110.6K

-32.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$12.6K ¥2.0M

-10.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$55.5 ¥8,764

12.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$36.05 ¥5,691

-21.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$69.5 ¥11.0K

35.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$97.1 ¥15.3K

-11.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$443 ¥69.9K

61.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$366 ¥57.8K

34.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$623 ¥98.3K

209.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$461 ¥72.8K

210.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$4,199 ¥662.9K

-0.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$2,274 ¥359.1K

33.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$1,818 ¥287.0K

-72.37%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Otsu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Otsu

$366 28.3% 25.4% $125

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Otsu

$332 25.6% 24.6% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Otsu

$172 13.2% 37.9% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Otsu

$116 9% 4.7% $5.7

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Otsu

$154 11.8% 26.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Otsu

$77 5.9% 6.8% $5.6

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Otsu

$81 6.2% 14.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $443 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Otsu pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $32 in Otsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $332 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇯🇵 Otsu

🕒 Local time

04:06 4:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

2 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

341,314

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Otsu 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Otsu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

On paper, salaries run 72% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $443 in Otsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $700 in Otsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Otsu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Phuket gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Otsu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Otsu on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.