Cost of Living Comparison Between Shizuoka and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Shizuoka and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,135 in Shizuoka versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,778 in Shizuoka versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,421 in Shizuoka versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Shizuoka costs roughly 9% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shizuoka 17% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.35 ¥1,009

$4.56 ฿151

39.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.09 ¥4,940

$32.62 ฿1,082

-4.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 ¥774

$8.90 ฿295

-45.28%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ¥468

$2.80 ฿93.0

5.36%

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

$0.98 ¥156

$0.88 ฿29.19

11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ¥108

$0.49 ฿16.23

38.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 ¥429

$2.39 ฿79.2

12.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ¥582

$3.71 ฿123

-1.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥237

$1.79 ฿59.3

-16.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ¥197

$1.44 ฿47.81

-13.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 ¥712

$1.58 ฿52.6

183.54%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥283

$2.13 ฿70.5

-16.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.77 ¥1,077

$19.92 ฿661

-66.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.17 ¥821

$3.43 ฿114

50.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 ¥2,167

$11.33 ฿376

20.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 ¥527

$2.95 ฿97.8

12.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 ¥316

$1.72 ฿57.1

15.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 ¥522

$2.32 ฿77.1

41.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ¥487

$2.08 ฿69.0

47.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 ¥235

$1.47 ฿48.77

0.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ¥185

$1.36 ฿45.05

-14.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ¥177

$1.10 ฿36.45

0.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥121

$0.57 ฿19.06

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥601

$4.27 ฿142

-11.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.86 ¥1,407

$18.42 ฿611

-51.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 ¥223

$1.87 ฿62.1

-25.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 ¥489

$2.92 ฿96.9

5.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 ¥280

$2.22 ฿73.6

-20.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.7 ¥8,851

$22.90 ฿759

143.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 ¥540

$3.03 ฿101

12.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 ¥306

$1.07 ฿35.63

79.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.01 ¥3,021

$3.93 ฿130

383.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥170

$1.49 ฿49.49

-28.19%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

$27.1K ฿899.8K

-20.33%

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

$14.9K ¥2.4M

$27.5K ฿910.6K

-45.70%

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

$135 ¥21.5K

$103 ฿3,410

31.62%

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

$15.62 ¥2,482

$10.99 ฿365

42.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.37 ¥4,826

$17.51 ฿581

73.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 ¥8,062

$53.5 ฿1,776

-5.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.70 ¥1,700

$11.20 ฿371

-4.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.75 ¥1,866

$7.48 ฿248

57.09%

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

$314 ¥50.0K

$557 ฿18.5K

-43.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K ¥2.1M

$11.9K ฿393.2K

10.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.94 ¥2,851

$64.1 ฿2,125

-72.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.69 ¥3,446

$29.07 ฿964

-25.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 ¥9,699

$96.0 ฿3,183

-36.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.7 ¥14.3K

$90.3 ฿2,997

-0.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 ¥53.2K

$730 ฿24.2K

-54.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 ¥50.5K

$500 ฿16.6K

-36.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ¥167.1K

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-49.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 ¥116.1K

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-39.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,295 ¥682.5K

$3,596 ฿119.3K

19.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,894 ¥301.0K

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-24.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,207 ¥350.7K

$503 ฿16.7K

338.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-82.05%

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

Last update for Shizuoka: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $335 in Shizuoka and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shizuoka pays 339% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Shizuoka vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $273 per month, with Shizuoka cheaper across the board.

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

Shizuoka vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shizuoka is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 339% higher in Shizuoka, 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: $335 in Shizuoka versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $314 in Shizuoka versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,135 in Shizuoka versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shizuoka but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shizuoka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shizuoka 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, Shizuoka 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 Shizuoka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.