Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tsukuba Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tsukuba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,147 in Tsukuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,838 in Tsukuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,529 in Tsukuba.

Living in Phuket is roughly 7% more expensive than in Tsukuba, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Tsukuba 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.49 ¥1,013

-32.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$33.44 ¥5,218

-3.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$5.04 ¥787

77.18%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.81 ¥439

3.20%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.98 ¥153

-10.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.81 ¥126

-40.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.13 ¥333

10.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.28 ¥512

13.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.47 ¥230

27.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.71 ¥267

-14.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$3.18 ¥497

-51.26%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.04 ¥318

2.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$12.03 ¥1,877

62.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.23 ¥972

-45.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$14.97 ¥2,336

-23.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.70 ¥889

-47.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.85 ¥445

-41.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.89 ¥451

-23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.32 ¥674

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.67 ¥417

-43.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.75 ¥429

-51.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.80 ¥125

41.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.77 ¥119

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.97 ¥620

7.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$6.57 ¥1,026

190.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.81 ¥282

-1.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.09 ¥325

33.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.55 ¥242

43.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$49.63 ¥7,744

-54.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.17 ¥494

-4.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.58 ¥402

-60.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$20.96 ¥3,270

-81.44%

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

$22.4K ¥3.5M

18.74%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$18.8K ¥2.9M

43.62%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$137 ¥21.4K

-25.44%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$24.86 ¥3,879

-54.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$33.10 ¥5,165

-47.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$56.9 ¥8,872

-8.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$12.98 ¥2,025

-40.76%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$97.6 ¥15.2K

474.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

-24.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$49.49 ¥7,722

27.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$33.07 ¥5,160

-10.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$39.12 ¥6,104

150.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$42.51 ¥6,632

108.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$474 ¥74.0K

55.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$292 ¥45.6K

65.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,138 ¥177.6K

85.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$648 ¥101.1K

89.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$3,469 ¥541.3K

4.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,579 ¥246.4K

64.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,495 ¥233.3K

-66.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

178.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Tsukuba: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $474 in Tsukuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tsukuba pays 203% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Tsukuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $296 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 Tsukuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tsukuba is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 203% lower in Tsukuba. 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 $474 in Tsukuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $97.6 in Tsukuba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,147 in Tsukuba versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tsukuba but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tsukuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tsukuba 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 Tsukuba 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 Tsukuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.