Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shizuoka Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shizuoka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,307 in Shizuoka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,995 in Shizuoka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,682 in Shizuoka.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 3% less than in Shizuoka, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Shizuoka 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$6.74 ¥1,078

-30.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$34.42 ¥5,506

31.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.14 ¥823

64.01%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.51 ¥562

-16.52%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.05 ¥168

-34.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.77 ¥124

-51.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.11 ¥337

14.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.05 ¥328

81.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.59 ¥255

40.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.52 ¥243

20.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$4.21 ¥673

-48.46%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.52 ¥243

45.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.95 ¥1,751

80.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.43 ¥1,029

-43.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.53 ¥2,485

-12.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$5.40 ¥863

-39.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.48 ¥397

-35.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.93 ¥628

-38.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.15 ¥663

-49.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.94 ¥470

-47.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.49 ¥399

-40.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.54 ¥246

-35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.37 ¥219

-62.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.78 ¥764

-7.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.87 ¥1,419

118.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.06 ¥330

-13.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$3.57 ¥571

-24.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$2.02 ¥324

-32.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$23.03 ¥3,684

-50.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$4.11 ¥658

-26.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$2.02 ¥323

-50.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$20.50 ¥3,279

-31.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.20 ¥192

13.33%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$27.6K ¥4.4M

2.23%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.7K ¥2.8M

86.12%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$235 ¥37.6K

-48.24%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$17.16 ¥2,744

-20.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$40.20 ¥6,430

-54.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$97.9 ¥15.7K

-38.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.06 ¥2,249

21.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$11.82 ¥1,890

-26.48%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$246 ¥39.3K

181.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$13.6K ¥2.2M

15.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$45.31 ¥7,248

31.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$30.03 ¥4,804

15.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$68.6 ¥11.0K

67.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$96.1 ¥15.4K

-13.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$378 ¥60.5K

62.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$282 ¥45.1K

54.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$671 ¥107.3K

212.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$571 ¥91.4K

164.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$6,015 ¥962.0K

-37.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$4,151 ¥664.0K

-36.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,196 ¥351.3K

-76.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

433.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Shizuoka: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $378 in Shizuoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shizuoka pays 332% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Shizuoka. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $316, 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 Shizuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Shizuoka earns 332% 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 $378 in Shizuoka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $246 in Shizuoka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Shizuoka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,307 in Shizuoka, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Shizuoka. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Shizuoka 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 3% less than in Shizuoka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.