Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Toyama Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Toyama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,147 in Toyama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,850 in Toyama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,553 in Toyama.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than in Toyama, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Toyama 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.85 ¥602

18.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$43.75 ¥6,835

-25.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$5.06 ¥790

75.89%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$3.44 ¥537

-18.60%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.08 ¥169

-18.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.80 ¥124

-38.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.44 ¥381

-2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.18 ¥497

16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.09 ¥170

64.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.78 ¥122

84.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$3.59 ¥561

-55.99%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.98 ¥309

7.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$11.72 ¥1,831

69.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$6.14 ¥959

-44.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$14.20 ¥2,219

-20.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$5.69 ¥889

-48.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$2.80 ¥437

-38.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$2.89 ¥452

-19.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$4.05 ¥632

-48.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$2.61 ¥408

-43.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$2.60 ¥406

-47.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.23 ¥193

-10.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.69 ¥107

-17.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.78 ¥591

12.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$6.22 ¥972

196.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.71 ¥267

9.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.97 ¥308

48.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$1.50 ¥234

48.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$51.7 ¥8,081

-55.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$3.05 ¥476

-0.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$2.56 ¥401

-58.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$20.19 ¥3,154

-80.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.09 ¥171

36.70%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$21.0K ¥3.3M

29.06%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$18.1K ¥2.8M

52.04%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$132 ¥20.6K

-21.88%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$24.27 ¥3,791

-54.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$31.86 ¥4,976

-45.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$50.7 ¥7,924

5.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$11.38 ¥1,777

-34.27%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$615 ¥96.1K

-9.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$14.5K ¥2.3M

-18.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$60.7 ¥9,489

5.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$32.63 ¥5,097

-10.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$60.7 ¥9,484

58.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$101 ¥15.8K

-10.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$237 ¥37.1K

207.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$349 ¥54.5K

43.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,083 ¥169.1K

93.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$683 ¥106.6K

77.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$4,012 ¥626.8K

-10.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,868 ¥291.8K

34.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.12

162.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Toyama: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $237 in Toyama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $44.00 in Toyama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $278 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 Toyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toyama is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $1,720 in Toyama 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: $730 in Phuket versus $237 in Toyama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $615 in Toyama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,147 in Toyama versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Toyama but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Toyama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Toyama 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 Toyama 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 Toyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.