Cost of Living Comparison Between Saitama and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Saitama and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,127 in Saitama versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,830 in Saitama versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,533 in Saitama versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Saitama costs roughly 10% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saitama 16% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.87 ¥955

$4.55 ฿153

29.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.39 ¥5,590

$46.18 ฿1,554

-25.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥810

$8.84 ฿298

-43.67%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥500

$3.06 ฿103

0.65%

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

$0.71 ¥115

$0.73 ฿24.42

-2.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥121

$0.40 ฿13.40

85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 ¥329

$2.43 ฿81.8

-16.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ¥495

$3.78 ฿127

-19.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥245

$2.26 ฿76.0

-33.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 ¥270

$1.81 ฿60.9

-8.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 ¥477

$2.25 ฿75.8

30.67%

Eggs

$2.23 ¥363

$2.25 ฿75.6

-0.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ¥1,658

$19.51 ฿656

-47.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 ¥960

$3.65 ฿123

61.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 ¥2,523

$13.05 ฿439

18.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 ¥968

$3.23 ฿109

84.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥218

$1.62 ฿54.4

-17.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 ¥634

$2.38 ฿80.2

63.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.91 ¥960

$2.03 ฿68.2

191.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 ¥526

$1.53 ฿51.6

111.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 ¥286

$1.50 ฿50.5

17.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ¥218

$0.98 ฿32.93

36.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥132

$0.52 ฿17.40

55.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 ¥660

$4.44 ฿149

-8.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 ¥1,328

$18.32 ฿616

-55.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ¥287

$1.86 ฿62.7

-4.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥329

$2.68 ฿90.2

-24.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 ¥273

$1.41 ฿47.49

19.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.8 ¥8,907

$11.70 ฿394

368.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 ¥558

$3.11 ฿105

10.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 ¥466

$1.04 ฿35.08

175.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.85 ¥3,552

$14.11 ฿475

54.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥192

$1.31 ฿44.13

-9.92%

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

$23.5K ¥3.8M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-15.52%

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

$18.2K ¥3.0M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-45.20%

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

$141 ¥22.9K

$122 ฿4,120

15.12%

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

$19.47 ¥3,164

$13.59 ฿457

43.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.15 ¥5,551

$18.70 ฿629

82.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.2 ¥11.2K

$60.5 ฿2,035

14.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.76 ¥2,236

$16.98 ฿572

-18.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.91 ¥1,936

$9.07 ฿305

31.31%

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

$283 ¥46.1K

$706 ฿23.8K

-59.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K ¥2.2M

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-12.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.81 ¥6,145

$58.6 ฿1,970

-35.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.07 ¥4,562

$35.36 ฿1,190

-20.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 ¥9,727

$115 ฿3,885

-48.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 ¥11.2K

$83.7 ฿2,818

-18.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ¥69.6K

$626 ฿21.1K

-31.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 ¥42.0K

$445 ฿15.0K

-41.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 ¥142.6K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-57.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 ¥106.5K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-56.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,887 ¥794.2K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

40.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,152 ¥349.8K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-16.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,474 ¥239.6K

$500 ฿16.8K

194.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.86

5.33

-65.10%

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

Last update for Saitama: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Saitama and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saitama pays 195% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Saitama vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $289, 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

Saitama vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saitama is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 195% higher in Saitama, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $428 in Saitama versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $283 in Saitama versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,127 in Saitama versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saitama but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Saitama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Saitama 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, Saitama 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 Saitama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.