Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wakayama Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wakayama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,351 in Wakayama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,076 in Wakayama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,801 in Wakayama.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 6% less than in Wakayama, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Wakayama is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$6.80 ¥1,110

-34.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$34.90 ¥5,698

30.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$6.32 ¥1,032

38.61%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$3.05 ¥498

-2.62%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.20 ¥197

-42.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.75 ¥122

-48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$3.50 ¥572

-27.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.11 ¥345

77.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.61 ¥263

33.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.78 ¥290

2.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$4.90 ¥801

-55.51%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.50 ¥409

-10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$17.61 ¥2,875

13.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.82 ¥1,278

-53.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$15.66 ¥2,558

-13.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$9.21 ¥1,505

-64.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$2.86 ¥468

-42.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$4.75 ¥776

-50.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$9.56 ¥1,560

-78.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$3.90 ¥637

-60.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$2.68 ¥437

-45.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.38 ¥226

-28.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$1.43 ¥233

-66.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$3.55 ¥580

22.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$9.42 ¥1,538

97.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$2.80 ¥457

-33.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.26 ¥369

17.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$1.60 ¥261

-11.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$54.4 ¥8,886

-78.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.56 ¥581

-10.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$2.97 ¥484

-65.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$17.13 ¥2,797

-18.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.20 ¥196

11.67%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

18.06%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$16.9K ¥2.8M

97.40%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$140 ¥22.9K

-12.31%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$27.53 ¥4,496

-49.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$33.83 ¥5,524

-45.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$54.9 ¥8,956

10.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$14.05 ¥2,294

22.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$12.24 ¥1,999

-27.53%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$472 ¥77.1K

45.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$11.2K ¥1.8M

40.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$46.42 ¥7,580

27.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$32.37 ¥5,286

7.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$57.3 ¥9,357

101.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$91.6 ¥15.0K

-8.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$466 ¥76.0K

33.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$332 ¥54.2K

34.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$862 ¥140.8K

135.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$659 ¥107.5K

127.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$4,700 ¥767.5K

-26.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$2,266 ¥370.0K

11.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$3,822 ¥624.1K

-87.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.67

219.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Wakayama: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $466 in Wakayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wakayama pays 674% 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 $35.00 in Wakayama. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $410, 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 Wakayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 674% lower in Wakayama. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $466 in Wakayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $472 in Wakayama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Wakayama. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,351 in Wakayama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wakayama. 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 Wakayama, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Wakayama 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 7% less than in Wakayama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.