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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,164 in Shizuoka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,830 in Shizuoka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,496 in Shizuoka.

Living in Phuket is roughly 6% more expensive than in Shizuoka, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Shizuoka 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.54 ¥1,026

-32.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$32.43 ¥5,087

-0.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$5.24 ¥822

70.42%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.97 ¥465

-2.36%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.00 ¥157

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.72 ¥112

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.83 ¥444

-16.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.01 ¥628

-7.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.53 ¥241

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.33 ¥209

10.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$4.64 ¥728

-66.59%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.83 ¥287

14.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$7.16 ¥1,123

173.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.51 ¥865

-37.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$14.35 ¥2,251

-20.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$3.48 ¥546

-14.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.96 ¥308

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$3.40 ¥533

-35.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$3.26 ¥511

-33.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.52 ¥239

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.16 ¥182

15.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$1.15 ¥181

-1.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.85 ¥133

-35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.80 ¥596

12.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.87 ¥1,392

115.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.51 ¥237

17.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$3.19 ¥501

-12.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$1.91 ¥299

16.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$58.5 ¥9,170

-61.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.61 ¥566

-16.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$1.96 ¥308

-47.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$19.66 ¥3,084

-80.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.06 ¥167

40.57%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$22.4K ¥3.5M

18.58%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$15.7K ¥2.5M

72.59%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$141 ¥22.2K

-27.54%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$15.68 ¥2,460

-27.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$31.75 ¥4,980

-45.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$53.2 ¥8,351

-2.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$11.10 ¥1,741

-0.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$12.50 ¥1,960

-38.48%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$328 ¥51.4K

71.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$13.6K ¥2.1M

-15.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$19.07 ¥2,991

230.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$22.25 ¥3,490

32.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$63.0 ¥9,883

55.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$93.4 ¥14.7K

-5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$338 ¥53.0K

118.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$340 ¥53.3K

41.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$1,023 ¥160.5K

105.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$753 ¥118.2K

62.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$3,759 ¥589.6K

-3.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,819 ¥285.4K

43.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$2,280 ¥357.6K

-78.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

457.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Shizuoka: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $338 in Shizuoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shizuoka pays 362% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Shizuoka. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $259, with Shizuoka 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

Shizuoka is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 362% lower in Shizuoka. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $338 in Shizuoka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $328 in Shizuoka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,164 in Shizuoka versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shizuoka but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shizuoka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shizuoka 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 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 Shizuoka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.