Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yokohama Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yokohama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,385 in Yokohama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,142 in Yokohama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,898 in Yokohama.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 9% less than in Yokohama, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Yokohama is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$6.51 ¥1,000

-28.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$41.89 ¥6,433

-23.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.20 ¥798

66.92%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.48 ¥534

-16.67%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.12 ¥172

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.77 ¥118

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.53 ¥389

-1.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.20 ¥491

16.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.41 ¥217

34.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.77 ¥272

-20.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$3.64 ¥560

-55.49%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.07 ¥318

8.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$12.06 ¥1,851

64.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.15 ¥944

-43.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$14.67 ¥2,252

-22.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$5.89 ¥905

-50.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.79 ¥428

-38.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.91 ¥446

-21.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$4.21 ¥647

-49.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.61 ¥401

-43.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$2.68 ¥412

-47.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.33 ¥204

-17.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.77 ¥118

-22.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.92 ¥602

9.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$6.37 ¥979

191.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.80 ¥277

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.08 ¥320

42.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.39 ¥213

61.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$57.7 ¥8,856

-59.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$3.15 ¥484

-1.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.62 ¥403

-58.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$21.02 ¥3,227

-81.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.15 ¥176

24.35%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$21.7K ¥3.3M

28.21%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$19.0K ¥2.9M

41.66%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$135 ¥20.8K

-22.50%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$25.04 ¥3,845

-54.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$32.42 ¥4,978

-45.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$51.3 ¥7,879

5.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$11.82 ¥1,815

-3.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$12.88 ¥1,977

-39.60%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$647 ¥99.3K

-10.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

-21.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$65.1 ¥10.0K

-2.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$32.63 ¥5,011

-10.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$63.2 ¥9,708

52.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$103 ¥15.9K

-12.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$1,191 ¥182.9K

-38.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$460 ¥70.6K

8.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$2,333 ¥358.2K

-8.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$855 ¥131.2K

46.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$7,041 ¥1.1M

-49.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$4,103 ¥630.0K

-36.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$2,740 ¥420.7K

-81.47%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Yokohama: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $1,191 in Yokohama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yokohama pays 440% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Yokohama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $298 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 Yokohama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 440% lower in Yokohama. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $1,191 in Yokohama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $647 in Yokohama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Yokohama. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,385 in Yokohama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Yokohama. 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 Yokohama, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Yokohama 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 9% less than in Yokohama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.