Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tottori Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tottori

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,245 in Tottori.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,857 in Tottori.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,468 in Tottori.

Living in Phuket is roughly 2% more expensive than Tottori, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tottori 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$10.52 ¥1,683

-55.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$34.98 ¥5,596

29.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.40 ¥864

56.11%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.49 ¥558

-16.05%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.93 ¥149

-25.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.80 ¥129

-53.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.37 ¥539

-28.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$6.45 ¥1,032

-42.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.76 ¥281

26.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.17 ¥188

56.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$3.23 ¥516

-32.82%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.22 ¥354

-0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.72 ¥1,554

103.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.91 ¥1,264

-54.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.28 ¥2,444

-11.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$5.13 ¥820

-36.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.52 ¥404

-36.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$6.48 ¥1,037

-62.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$3.85 ¥616

-45.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.64 ¥262

-6.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.38 ¥380

-37.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.24 ¥198

-20.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.96 ¥153

-46.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.25 ¥679

3.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$7.69 ¥1,230

152.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.71 ¥273

4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.71 ¥433

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.65 ¥264

-16.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$56.2 ¥8,985

-79.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.40 ¥543

-11.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$3.37 ¥539

-70.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$17.89 ¥2,862

-21.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.21 ¥193

12.40%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.2K ¥3.7M

21.50%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.8K ¥2.7M

95.45%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$113 ¥18.0K

7.88%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$25.96 ¥4,152

-47.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$32.47 ¥5,194

-43.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$56.3 ¥8,999

7.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.86 ¥2,217

23.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$13.03 ¥2,084

-33.31%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$352 ¥56.4K

96.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$7,384 ¥1.2M

112.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$49.49 ¥7,916

20.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$33.47 ¥5,353

3.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$68.1 ¥10.9K

68.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$103 ¥16.5K

-19.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$351 ¥56.2K

74.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$308 ¥49.3K

41.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$585 ¥93.5K

258.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$457 ¥73.2K

229.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,596 ¥735.2K

-18.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,387 ¥381.8K

9.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.74

206.32%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tottori: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $351 in Tottori. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Tottori. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $307, 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 Tottori: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tottori is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,867 in Tottori to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $351 in Tottori. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $352 in Tottori. 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 $1,245 in Tottori versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tottori but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tottori the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tottori 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 Tottori 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 Tottori gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.