Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tokushima Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tokushima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,366 in Tokushima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,107 in Tokushima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,849 in Tokushima.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 7% less than in Tokushima, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Tokushima is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$8.20 ¥1,312

-42.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$34.69 ¥5,549

30.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.07 ¥971

38.88%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.97 ¥475

-1.35%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.15 ¥183

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.70 ¥112

-47.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.51 ¥562

-31.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.05 ¥488

21.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.68 ¥269

32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.72 ¥276

6.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$4.91 ¥786

-55.80%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.53 ¥404

-12.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$17.18 ¥2,748

14.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.42 ¥1,186

-51.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.18 ¥2,428

-10.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$8.89 ¥1,423

-63.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.88 ¥461

-44.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$4.79 ¥767

-49.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$6.88 ¥1,100

-69.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$3.95 ¥632

-61.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.68 ¥429

-44.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.38 ¥220

-28.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.92 ¥147

-44.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.42 ¥547

28.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$9.47 ¥1,514

104.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.73 ¥436

-34.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.36 ¥377

14.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.64 ¥263

-16.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$55.6 ¥8,886

-79.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.37 ¥540

-10.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$2.96 ¥473

-66.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$34.15 ¥5,462

-58.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.22 ¥195

11.48%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

19.95%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.2K ¥2.7M

91.58%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$139 ¥22.3K

-12.70%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$27.05 ¥4,327

-49.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$34.04 ¥5,445

-46.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$65.1 ¥10.4K

-7.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.63 ¥2,181

25.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$12.44 ¥1,991

-30.14%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$481 ¥76.9K

44.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$11.3K ¥1.8M

38.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$46.59 ¥7,452

27.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$31.99 ¥5,116

8.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$55.4 ¥8,866

106.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$92.3 ¥14.8K

-9.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$460 ¥73.6K

33.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$331 ¥52.9K

32.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$867 ¥138.7K

141.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$647 ¥103.6K

133.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,608 ¥737.1K

-18.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,379 ¥380.5K

9.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,384 ¥221.3K

-63.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.78

199.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tokushima: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $460 in Tokushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokushima pays 172% 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 $35.00 in Tokushima. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $384, 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 Tokushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tokushima earns 172% 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 $460 in Tokushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $481 in Tokushima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Tokushima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,366 in Tokushima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tokushima. 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 Tokushima, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tokushima 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 8% less than in Tokushima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.