Cost of Living Comparison Between Sagamihara and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sagamihara and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,372 in Sagamihara versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,148 in Sagamihara versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,924 in Sagamihara versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Sagamihara is roughly 8% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sagamihara is 2% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.55 ¥1,368

$4.70 ฿154

81.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.14 ¥5,620

$45.37 ฿1,483

-22.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.13 ¥981

$8.43 ฿276

-27.28%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ¥489

$2.93 ฿95.7

4.44%

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

$1.15 ¥184

$0.69 ฿22.42

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥113

$0.37 ฿12.00

91.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 ¥556

$2.41 ฿78.7

43.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ¥513

$3.72 ฿122

-13.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ¥261

$2.23 ฿73.0

-26.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ¥288

$1.83 ฿59.9

-1.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.88 ¥780

$2.17 ฿70.9

124.88%

Eggs

$2.43 ¥388

$2.21 ฿72.4

9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥2,750

$19.74 ฿645

-12.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 ¥1,230

$3.63 ฿119

111.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 ¥2,429

$13.53 ฿442

12.27%

Apples (1kg)

$9.09 ¥1,455

$3.28 ฿107

177.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 ¥451

$1.61 ฿52.7

75.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 ¥787

$2.41 ฿78.7

104.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.83 ¥1,573

$2.08 ฿68.1

372.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ¥621

$1.53 ฿49.97

153.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ¥417

$1.48 ฿48.41

75.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ¥211

$0.99 ฿32.32

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ¥227

$0.51 ฿16.68

178.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.43 ¥549

$4.41 ฿144

-22.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.30 ¥1,487

$19.38 ฿634

-52.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ¥447

$1.78 ฿58.1

56.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ¥368

$2.71 ฿88.7

-15.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 ¥255

$1.37 ฿44.83

16.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ¥9,001

$11.39 ฿372

394.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 ¥539

$3.02 ฿98.7

11.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.92 ¥467

$0.99 ฿32.51

194.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.06 ¥2,729

$14.10 ฿461

20.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥188

$1.36 ฿44.55

-13.24%

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

$23.0K ¥3.7M

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-18.40%

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

$17.1K ¥2.7M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-48.08%

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

$138 ¥22.1K

$122 ฿3,978

13.52%

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

$27.49 ¥4,398

$13.57 ฿444

102.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.85 ¥5,414

$18.31 ฿599

84.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ¥8,816

$60.2 ฿1,969

-8.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.93 ¥2,228

$17.14 ฿560

-18.73%

Cinema Ticket

$12.35 ¥1,975

$8.69 ฿284

42.12%

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

$466 ¥74.5K

$693 ฿22.7K

-32.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K ¥1.8M

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-28.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.03 ¥7,362

$59.5 ฿1,946

-22.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.49 ¥5,037

$34.77 ฿1,137

-9.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.4 ¥8,861

$115 ฿3,746

-51.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.9 ¥14.7K

$83.3 ฿2,723

10.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥75.4K

$613 ฿20.0K

-23.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 ¥53.5K

$437 ฿14.3K

-23.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 ¥137.8K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-58.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 ¥105.8K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-56.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,862 ¥777.7K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

29.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,132 ¥341.0K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-18.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

5.33

-66.60%

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

Last update for Sagamihara: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $471 in Sagamihara and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Sagamihara vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $293, 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

Sagamihara vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,058 in Sagamihara and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $471 in Sagamihara versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Sagamihara versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Sagamihara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,372 in Sagamihara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sagamihara. 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 Sagamihara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sagamihara and Phuket 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 8% less than in Sagamihara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.