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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $983 in Saitama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,315 in Saitama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,646 in Saitama.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than in Saitama, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Saitama 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$5.61 ¥872

-18.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$30.87 ¥4,804

5.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$4.75 ¥739

87.37%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.98 ¥464

-6.04%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.71 ¥111

23.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.59 ¥92.2

-16.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.48 ¥386

-3.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.08 ¥480

20.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.41 ¥220

26.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.72 ¥268

-16.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$2.77 ¥432

-42.96%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.97 ¥307

8.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$11.85 ¥1,844

68.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$5.34 ¥831

-35.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$14.55 ¥2,265

-22.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$5.55 ¥864

-46.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$2.20 ¥343

-21.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$2.77 ¥431

-16.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$4.06 ¥633

-48.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$2.51 ¥391

-41.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$1.54 ¥239

-11.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$1.26 ¥196

-12.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.72 ¥112

-20.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.69 ¥574

15.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$6.35 ¥989

190.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.72 ¥268

8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.99 ¥310

46.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$3.35 ¥521

-33.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$3.11 ¥485

-2.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$2.46 ¥382

-56.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$20.32 ¥3,163

-80.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.05 ¥164

41.90%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$21.6K ¥3.4M

25.82%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$14.5K ¥2.3M

89.78%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$131 ¥20.4K

-21.52%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$17.94 ¥2,792

-38.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$31.96 ¥4,974

-45.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$61.9 ¥9,629

-13.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$10.82 ¥1,683

-30.87%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$633 ¥98.6K

-12.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$14.4K ¥2.2M

-17.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$34.98 ¥5,444

83.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$24.53 ¥3,818

18.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$55.4 ¥8,622

73.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$61.4 ¥9,560

47.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$409 ¥63.7K

78.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$226 ¥35.1K

121.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$1,517 ¥236.1K

-66.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.06

170.39%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Saitama: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $409 in Saitama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saitama pays 201% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Saitama. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $278, 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, Getting Around. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 201% lower in Saitama. 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: $730 in Phuket versus $409 in Saitama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $633 in Saitama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saitama – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $983 in Saitama versus $1,253 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.