Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tokyo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tokyo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,665 in Tokyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,604 in Tokyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,543 in Tokyo.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 26% less than in Tokyo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Tokyo is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$7.58 ¥1,183

-41.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$39.00 ¥6,085

-17.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$5.13 ¥801

74.07%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.76 ¥586

-22.87%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.67 ¥261

-47.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.89 ¥139

-46.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$4.01 ¥625

-41.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$5.30 ¥827

-29.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.54 ¥241

21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.60 ¥250

-8.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$5.85 ¥913

-73.50%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.26 ¥352

-7.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$10.69 ¥1,667

83.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$7.62 ¥1,190

-55.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$19.01 ¥2,966

-40.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$4.94 ¥771

-39.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.37 ¥369

-29.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$4.34 ¥677

-49.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$5.50 ¥859

-60.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$3.37 ¥526

-54.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$3.18 ¥496

-57.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.19 ¥186

-5.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.86 ¥135

-36.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.98 ¥621

7.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$9.92 ¥1,548

92.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.77 ¥276

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.84 ¥443

-2.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.27 ¥199

75.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$72.4 ¥11.3K

-68.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.20 ¥499

-5.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$3.29 ¥513

-69.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$19.15 ¥2,988

-79.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.09 ¥170

36.70%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$22.2K ¥3.5M

19.70%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$15.6K ¥2.4M

73.54%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$158 ¥24.6K

-34.95%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$22.59 ¥3,525

-49.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$31.21 ¥4,870

-44.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$65.0 ¥10.1K

-19.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$25.99 ¥4,055

-57.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$13.04 ¥2,035

-41.03%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$1,395 ¥217.6K

-59.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$18.4K ¥2.9M

-37.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$54.1 ¥8,446

16.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$33.76 ¥5,267

-12.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$65.0 ¥10.1K

50.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$72.6 ¥11.3K

21.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$1,279 ¥199.5K

-42.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$690 ¥107.7K

-30.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$2,488 ¥388.2K

-15.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,421 ¥221.8K

-13.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$9,219 ¥1.4M

-60.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$4,492 ¥700.8K

-42.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$3,049 ¥475.8K

-83.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.94

187.11%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $1,279 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 518% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Tokyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $341 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 Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 518% lower in Tokyo. 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 $1,279 in Tokyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $1,395 in Tokyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Tokyo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,665 in Tokyo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. 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 Tokyo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tokyo 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 35% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.