Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Takamatsu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Takamatsu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,163 in Takamatsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,855 in Takamatsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,548 in Takamatsu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than in Takamatsu, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Takamatsu 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$6.23 ¥973

-26.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$34.01 ¥5,313

-4.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$5.14 ¥803

73.15%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$3.28 ¥512

-14.63%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.09 ¥170

-19.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.67 ¥104

-26.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.66 ¥416

-10.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.06 ¥477

21.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.41 ¥220

26.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.46 ¥228

-1.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.69 ¥264

-6.51%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.20 ¥344

-3.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$11.40 ¥1,780

74.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$6.11 ¥955

-43.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$16.84 ¥2,630

-32.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$5.09 ¥795

-42.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$2.26 ¥353

-23.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$3.14 ¥491

-26.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$4.21 ¥658

-50.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$2.56 ¥400

-42.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$2.25 ¥352

-39.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.27 ¥198

-13.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.83 ¥129

-31.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.78 ¥590

12.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$7.41 ¥1,158

148.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.86 ¥291

0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.14 ¥334

36.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$1.45 ¥227

53.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$54.0 ¥8,441

-57.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$2.99 ¥467

1.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$2.76 ¥431

-61.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$19.29 ¥3,014

-79.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.06 ¥165

40.57%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$19.9K ¥3.1M

36.55%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$12.9K ¥2.0M

112.61%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$131 ¥20.5K

-21.54%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$24.19 ¥3,780

-54.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$30.52 ¥4,768

-42.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$51.3 ¥8,009

4.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$3.18 ¥497

252.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$11.84 ¥1,850

-36.82%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$572 ¥89.4K

-2.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$12.2K ¥1.9M

-3.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$55.1 ¥8,604

16.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$31.12 ¥4,862

-6.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$55.4 ¥8,651

73.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$94.0 ¥14.7K

-3.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$411 ¥64.3K

77.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$296 ¥46.2K

69.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,005 ¥157.0K

107.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$774 ¥120.9K

56.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$4,272 ¥667.4K

-15.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,920 ¥300.0K

30.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$1,731 ¥270.4K

-70.92%

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 Takamatsu: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $411 in Takamatsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Takamatsu pays 244% 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 $34.00 in Takamatsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $288 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Takamatsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Takamatsu is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 244% lower in Takamatsu. 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 $411 in Takamatsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $572 in Takamatsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,163 in Takamatsu versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Takamatsu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Takamatsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Takamatsu 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 Takamatsu 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 Takamatsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.