Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saitama Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saitama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,126 in Saitama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,821 in Saitama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,516 in Saitama.

Living in Phuket is roughly 12% more expensive than Saitama, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Saitama 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$6.06 ¥969

-22.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$33.98 ¥5,435

33.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.78 ¥764

76.36%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.04 ¥487

-3.62%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.75 ¥120

-8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.69 ¥111

-46.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.02 ¥324

19.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.13 ¥501

18.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.58 ¥252

41.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.67 ¥268

9.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$3.03 ¥485

-28.38%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.24 ¥358

-1.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.28 ¥1,644

92.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.14 ¥983

-40.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.59 ¥2,494

-13.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$5.89 ¥941

-44.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.34 ¥215

20.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.91 ¥626

-38.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$5.90 ¥943

-64.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$3.23 ¥516

-52.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.71 ¥273

-13.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.35 ¥216

-26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.88 ¥141

-42.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.13 ¥660

6.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.49 ¥1,358

128.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.84 ¥295

-3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.14 ¥342

26.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.62 ¥259

-15.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$56.5 ¥9,029

-79.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.44 ¥550

-12.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$2.96 ¥473

-66.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$22.04 ¥3,526

-36.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.24 ¥198

9.68%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.1K ¥3.7M

22.18%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$18.8K ¥3.0M

74.60%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$144 ¥23.0K

-15.47%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$19.50 ¥3,119

-30.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$33.90 ¥5,423

-45.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$67.8 ¥10.8K

-11.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.10 ¥2,255

21.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$12.14 ¥1,942

-28.42%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$276 ¥44.2K

150.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$13.7K ¥2.2M

14.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$38.62 ¥6,177

54.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$27.40 ¥4,382

26.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$60.2 ¥9,629

90.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$69.5 ¥11.1K

19.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$429 ¥68.6K

42.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$255 ¥40.8K

71.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$858 ¥137.2K

144.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$660 ¥105.6K

128.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,524 ¥723.6K

-17.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,701 ¥432.1K

-3.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,535 ¥245.5K

-66.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.86

186.56%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Saitama: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $429 in Saitama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saitama pays 202% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Saitama. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $304, 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 Saitama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saitama is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Saitama earns 202% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $429 in Saitama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $276 in Saitama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,126 in Saitama versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saitama but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Saitama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Saitama is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Saitama 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 Saitama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.