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: $1,205 in Shiga versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Shiga versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,530 in Shiga versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Shiga costs roughly 4% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shiga 10% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.80 ¥1,087

$4.56 ฿149

49.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.05 ¥5,446

$46.63 ฿1,519

-26.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 ¥793

$8.47 ฿276

-41.44%

Cappuccino

$2.70 ¥431

$3.03 ฿98.6

-10.89%

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

$1.09 ¥175

$0.69 ฿22.45

57.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥122

$0.37 ฿11.92

105.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 ¥445

$2.49 ฿81.0

11.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 ¥677

$3.66 ฿119

15.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥209

$2.18 ฿71.0

-39.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ¥226

$1.90 ฿62.0

-25.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 ¥646

$2.20 ฿71.6

83.64%

Eggs

$2.44 ¥390

$2.22 ฿72.4

9.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 ¥1,697

$19.99 ฿651

-46.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 ¥1,034

$3.66 ฿119

76.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 ¥3,040

$13.25 ฿432

43.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 ¥585

$3.23 ฿105

13.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ¥334

$1.70 ฿55.3

22.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 ¥417

$2.39 ฿78.0

9.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 ¥694

$2.08 ฿67.7

108.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥265

$1.59 ฿51.8

4.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 ¥207

$1.48 ฿48.31

-12.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ¥212

$1.03 ฿33.54

28.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ¥142

$0.52 ฿16.83

71.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 ¥635

$4.25 ฿138

-6.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.23 ¥1,477

$18.79 ฿612

-50.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥338

$1.76 ฿57.2

19.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ¥475

$2.76 ฿89.8

7.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 ¥266

$1.36 ฿44.32

22.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.4 ¥8,858

$11.36 ฿370

387.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 ¥730

$3.14 ฿102

45.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 ¥531

$1.04 ฿33.74

219.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.32 ¥3,730

$13.77 ฿448

69.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ¥185

$1.34 ฿43.79

-13.43%

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

$22.8K ¥3.6M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-17.69%

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

$17.0K ¥2.7M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-49.69%

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

$134 ¥21.5K

$124 ฿4,025

8.64%

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

$27.40 ¥4,382

$13.52 ฿440

102.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.82 ¥4,929

$18.69 ฿609

64.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 ¥8,987

$61.8 ฿2,013

-9.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.92 ¥2,227

$17.25 ฿562

-19.30%

Cinema Ticket

$12.63 ¥2,020

$9.14 ฿298

38.18%

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

$69.5 ¥11.1K

$703 ฿22.9K

-90.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K ¥1.6M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-35.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.76 ¥7,159

$59.5 ฿1,937

-24.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.23 ¥4,674

$35.07 ฿1,142

-16.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 ¥10.7K

$115 ฿3,754

-42.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 ¥15.4K

$84.1 ฿2,737

14.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥74.5K

$619 ฿20.1K

-24.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 ¥51.9K

$433 ฿14.1K

-25.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$854 ¥136.5K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-58.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 ¥104.2K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-56.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,201 ¥671.9K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

15.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,670 ¥427.0K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

1.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,176 ¥188.1K

$507 ฿16.5K

131.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.81

5.33

-66.04%

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

Last update for Shiga: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $466 in Shiga and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shiga pays 132% 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 Shiga vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $296 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

Shiga vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shiga is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Shiga pays 132% more on average, 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: $466 in Shiga versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $69.5 in Shiga versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,205 in Shiga versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shiga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shiga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shiga 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, 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 Shiga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.