Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiga and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiga and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,241 in Shiga versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,929 in Shiga versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,618 in Shiga versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Shiga is roughly 1% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shiga 9% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 ¥1,010

$4.41 ฿147

46.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.75 ¥4,959

$32.26 ฿1,073

-1.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.04 ¥788

$8.93 ฿297

-43.56%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ¥472

$2.90 ฿96.3

4.14%

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

$1.31 ¥205

$0.88 ฿29.27

48.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥110

$0.48 ฿16.00

47.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 ¥442

$2.35 ฿78.2

20.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ¥566

$3.72 ฿124

-2.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥205

$1.87 ฿62.0

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ¥201

$1.47 ฿48.75

-12.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.97 ¥619

$1.55 ฿51.6

156.13%

Eggs

$2.10 ¥329

$2.10 ฿69.9

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.56 ¥1,493

$19.59 ฿651

-51.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 ¥1,463

$3.42 ฿114

173.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.74 ¥2,926

$11.38 ฿378

64.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 ¥555

$2.98 ฿99.2

19.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 ¥305

$1.68 ฿56.0

16.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥320

$2.21 ฿73.5

-7.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 ¥643

$2.16 ฿71.9

90.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥243

$1.52 ฿50.7

1.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ¥181

$1.34 ฿44.49

-13.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 ¥210

$1.13 ฿37.53

19.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥125

$0.55 ฿18.17

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 ¥611

$4.26 ฿142

-8.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 ¥1,482

$19.09 ฿635

-50.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 ¥302

$1.78 ฿59.2

8.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ¥500

$2.78 ฿92.5

15.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 ¥185

$2.23 ฿74.1

-47.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.5 ¥9,138

$22.74 ฿756

157.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ¥599

$3.03 ฿101

26.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 ¥495

$1.02 ฿34.02

210.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.08 ¥3,448

$3.89 ฿129

467.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥174

$1.49 ฿49.57

-25.50%

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

$21.8K ¥3.4M

$26.6K ฿883.8K

-17.82%

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

$15.2K ¥2.4M

$27.0K ฿898.7K

-43.89%

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

$143 ¥22.3K

$102 ฿3,407

39.33%

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

$25.02 ¥3,908

$11.33 ฿377

120.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.05 ¥2,975

$17.40 ฿578

9.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 ¥8,091

$52.1 ฿1,732

-0.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 ¥1,921

$7.69 ฿256

59.95%

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

$535 ¥83.5K

$561 ฿18.6K

-4.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$11.5K ฿382.6K

14.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 ¥7,826

$63.0 ฿2,096

-20.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.73 ¥4,799

$29.52 ฿982

4.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.1 ¥11.6K

$98.0 ฿3,259

-24.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ¥14.7K

$88.5 ฿2,943

6.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ¥79.0K

$738 ฿24.5K

-31.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 ¥52.8K

$482 ฿16.0K

-29.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 ¥163.2K

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-50.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 ¥116.3K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-39.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 ¥615.9K

$3,617 ฿120.3K

9.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,670 ¥260.8K

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-35.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,227 ¥191.6K

$494 ฿16.4K

148.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

5.57

-60.32%

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

Last update for Shiga: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Shiga and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shiga pays 149% 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 Shiga vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $274, 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

Shiga 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 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 149% higher in Shiga, 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: $506 in Shiga versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $535 in Shiga versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Shiga. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,241 in Shiga, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Shiga. 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 Shiga, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Shiga 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 1% less than in Shiga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.