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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,701 in Tokyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,691 in Tokyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,682 in Tokyo.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 27% less than in Tokyo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Tokyo is 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$8.09 ¥1,314

-43.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$48.77 ¥7,923

-5.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.48 ¥891

61.31%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.60 ¥584

-15.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.27 ¥206

-42.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.86 ¥140

-53.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$4.08 ¥662

-40.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$5.44 ¥883

-30.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.62 ¥264

39.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.51 ¥245

19.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$5.34 ¥868

-57.87%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.32 ¥377

-3.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$15.96 ¥2,593

22.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$8.12 ¥1,319

-55.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$22.55 ¥3,664

-42.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$5.52 ¥897

-41.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.59 ¥421

-37.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$5.92 ¥962

-59.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$6.07 ¥987

-66.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$3.24 ¥527

-52.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.39 ¥551

-55.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.45 ¥235

-32.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.87 ¥142

-40.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.25 ¥691

4.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.31 ¥1,513

96.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.05 ¥334

-9.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.87 ¥466

-6.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.48 ¥241

-4.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$84.6 ¥13.7K

-86.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.38 ¥548

-7.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$2.91 ¥473

-64.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$26.24 ¥4,264

-46.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.20 ¥195

9.17%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

18.04%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$17.2K ¥2.8M

93.13%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$168 ¥27.2K

-26.97%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$25.82 ¥4,195

-47.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$33.50 ¥5,444

-44.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$70.9 ¥11.5K

-14.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$20.25 ¥3,289

-16.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$13.07 ¥2,124

-30.60%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$495 ¥80.3K

42.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$15.7K ¥2.6M

0.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$61.5 ¥10,000

-4.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$41.66 ¥6,769

-15.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$65.9 ¥10.7K

75.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$91.1 ¥14.8K

-8.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$1,120 ¥182.0K

-44.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$606 ¥98.5K

-26.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$2,680 ¥435.5K

-23.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,342 ¥218.0K

11.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$10.4K ¥1.7M

-66.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$4,986 ¥810.1K

-48.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$2,330 ¥378.5K

-78.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.72

209.88%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $1,120 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 366% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $49.00 in Tokyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $383 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 366% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $1,120 in Tokyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $495 in Tokyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Tokyo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,701 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 36% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.