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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,434 in Yokohama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,171 in Yokohama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,907 in Yokohama.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 12% less than in Yokohama, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Yokohama is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$7.02 ¥1,146

-36.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$42.14 ¥6,882

8.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.62 ¥918

55.87%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$3.21 ¥524

-7.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.21 ¥198

-42.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.80 ¥131

-51.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$2.05 ¥335

23.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.10 ¥506

20.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.50 ¥244

43.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.70 ¥277

7.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$4.83 ¥789

-54.87%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.30 ¥375

-2.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$9.98 ¥1,630

100.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.41 ¥1,047

-43.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$15.31 ¥2,500

-11.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$6.16 ¥1,005

-47.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$3.10 ¥507

-47.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$3.94 ¥643

-40.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$6.21 ¥1,014

-66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$3.33 ¥543

-53.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$4.25 ¥694

-65.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.39 ¥227

-29.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.81 ¥133

-40.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$4.25 ¥693

2.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$7.08 ¥1,156

162.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.80 ¥294

3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.12 ¥347

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$1.51 ¥247

-5.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$55.6 ¥9,074

-79.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.46 ¥565

-8.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$2.67 ¥435

-61.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$22.03 ¥3,597

-36.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.20 ¥195

11.67%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$22.8K ¥3.7M

21.75%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$18.8K ¥3.1M

77.46%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$144 ¥23.5K

-14.47%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$27.27 ¥4,453

-49.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$34.06 ¥5,562

-46.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$56.2 ¥9,174

8.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$13.63 ¥2,226

25.90%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$13.86 ¥2,264

-36.00%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$284 ¥46.4K

142.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$13.8K ¥2.2M

14.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$41.73 ¥6,815

42.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$29.58 ¥4,831

17.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$61.2 ¥9,993

88.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$112 ¥18.3K

-25.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$839 ¥137.0K

-25.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$475 ¥77.5K

-6.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$1,290 ¥210.7K

57.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$859 ¥140.3K

74.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$6,141 ¥1.0M

-43.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$4,365 ¥712.8K

-42.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,633 ¥430.0K

-81.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.05

160.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Yokohama: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $839 in Yokohama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yokohama pays 434% 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 $42.00 in Yokohama. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $326, 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 Yokohama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 434% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $839 in Yokohama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $284 in Yokohama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Yokohama. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,434 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 13% less than in Yokohama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.