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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,148 in Tsukuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,829 in Tsukuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,511 in Tsukuba.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than Tsukuba, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tsukuba 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.24 ¥678

10.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$36.23 ¥5,795

25.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.42 ¥867

55.54%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.83 ¥452

3.53%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.92 ¥147

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.81 ¥130

-54.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.99 ¥318

21.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.05 ¥488

21.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.56 ¥250

42.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.74 ¥279

5.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$2.50 ¥401

-13.20%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.20 ¥353

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.30 ¥1,328

137.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.07 ¥972

-40.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$11.14 ¥1,782

21.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$5.90 ¥943

-44.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$3.03 ¥485

-46.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.93 ¥629

-38.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.05 ¥328

1.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$3.39 ¥542

-54.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$3.46 ¥553

-57.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.07 ¥172

-7.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.86 ¥138

-40.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.00 ¥641

10.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$9.42 ¥1,506

105.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.74 ¥279

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.06 ¥330

31.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$2.49 ¥399

-44.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$54.4 ¥8,697

-79.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.44 ¥551

-12.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$2.89 ¥462

-65.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$21.87 ¥3,499

-35.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.18 ¥189

15.25%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$21.4K ¥3.4M

31.92%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$15.4K ¥2.5M

113.75%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$141 ¥22.6K

-13.72%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$27.94 ¥4,469

-51.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$34.60 ¥5,535

-47.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$60.2 ¥9,624

0.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.79 ¥2,206

24.29%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$13.60 ¥2,175

-36.10%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$136 ¥21.8K

409.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$11.9K ¥1.9M

31.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$41.80 ¥6,685

42.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$29.96 ¥4,792

16.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$42.14 ¥6,741

171.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$96.0 ¥15.3K

-13.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$503 ¥80.4K

21.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$317 ¥50.8K

37.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,188 ¥190.0K

76.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$697 ¥111.4K

116.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,365 ¥698.2K

-14.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,137 ¥341.8K

22.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,413 ¥226.1K

-64.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

166.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tsukuba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $503 in Tsukuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tsukuba pays 178% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Tsukuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $278 per month, with Tsukuba 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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tsukuba earns 178% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $503 in Tsukuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $136 in Tsukuba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,148 in Tsukuba versus $1,265 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 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.