Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shiga Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shiga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,205 in Shiga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,868 in Shiga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,530 in Shiga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than Shiga, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Shiga 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$6.80 ¥1,087

-32.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$34.05 ¥5,446

36.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.96 ¥793

70.77%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.70 ¥431

12.22%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.09 ¥175

-36.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.76 ¥122

-51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.78 ¥445

-10.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.23 ¥677

-13.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.31 ¥209

66.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.41 ¥226

34.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$4.04 ¥646

-45.54%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.44 ¥390

-9.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$10.61 ¥1,697

88.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.46 ¥1,034

-43.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$19.01 ¥3,040

-30.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.66 ¥585

-11.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.09 ¥334

-18.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.61 ¥417

-8.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$4.34 ¥694

-52.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.66 ¥265

-4.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.29 ¥207

14.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.32 ¥212

-21.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.89 ¥142

-41.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.97 ¥635

7.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$9.23 ¥1,477

103.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.11 ¥338

-16.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.97 ¥475

-7.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.67 ¥266

-18.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$55.4 ¥8,858

-79.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$4.56 ¥730

-31.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$3.32 ¥531

-68.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$23.32 ¥3,730

-40.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.16 ¥185

15.52%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

21.49%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$17.0K ¥2.7M

98.77%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$134 ¥21.5K

-7.95%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$27.40 ¥4,382

-50.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$30.82 ¥4,929

-39.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$56.2 ¥8,987

10.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$13.92 ¥2,227

23.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$12.63 ¥2,020

-27.63%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$69.5 ¥11.1K

911.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$10.2K ¥1.6M

55.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$44.76 ¥7,159

32.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$29.23 ¥4,674

19.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$66.6 ¥10.7K

73.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$96.4 ¥15.4K

-12.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$466 ¥74.5K

32.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$324 ¥51.9K

33.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$854 ¥136.5K

141.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$651 ¥104.2K

132.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$4,201 ¥671.9K

-13.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$2,670 ¥427.0K

-1.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,176 ¥188.1K

-56.90%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Shiga: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $466 in Shiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shiga pays 132% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Shiga. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $296, 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 Shiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shiga is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Shiga earns 132% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $466 in Shiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $69.5 in Shiga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,205 in Shiga versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shiga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shiga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shiga 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 Shiga 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 Shiga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.