Cost of Living Comparison Between Suginami-ku and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Suginami-ku and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,203 in Suginami-ku versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,949 in Suginami-ku versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,695 in Suginami-ku versus $2,833 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Suginami-ku 12% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.19 ¥964

$4.56 ฿150

35.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.65 ¥6,793

$32.62 ฿1,073

33.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥763

$8.90 ฿293

-44.94%

Cappuccino

$3.38 ¥527

$2.80 ฿92.2

20.71%

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

$1.04 ¥161

$0.88 ฿28.94

18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥124

$0.49 ฿16.08

63.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 ¥381

$2.39 ฿78.5

2.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 ¥500

$3.71 ฿122

-13.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ¥214

$1.79 ฿58.8

-22.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 ¥265

$1.44 ฿47.40

18.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 ¥577

$1.58 ฿52.1

134.81%

Eggs

$2.07 ¥323

$2.13 ฿69.9

-2.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.61 ¥1,808

$19.92 ฿655

-41.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 ¥943

$3.43 ฿113

76.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.43 ¥2,246

$11.33 ฿372

27.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.65 ¥879

$2.95 ฿97.0

91.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 ¥417

$1.72 ฿56.6

55.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 ¥439

$2.32 ฿76.5

21.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 ¥660

$2.08 ฿68.4

103.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 ¥407

$1.47 ฿48.34

78.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ¥404

$1.36 ฿44.65

91.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥200

$1.10 ฿36.13

16.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥116

$0.57 ฿18.89

29.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥571

$4.27 ฿140

-14.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 ¥990

$18.42 ฿606

-65.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥269

$1.87 ฿61.5

-7.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥321

$2.92 ฿96.1

-29.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥224

$2.22 ฿73.0

-35.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.8 ¥8,057

$22.90 ฿753

126.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 ¥496

$3.03 ฿99.6

4.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 ¥378

$1.07 ฿35.32

127.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.03 ¥3,118

$3.93 ฿129

409.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥163

$1.49 ฿49.06

-29.53%

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$27.1K ฿892.0K

-20.65%

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

$17.9K ¥2.8M

$27.5K ฿902.6K

-34.66%

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

$129 ¥20.1K

$103 ฿3,380

25.72%

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

$24.39 ¥3,796

$10.99 ฿361

121.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.96 ¥4,975

$17.51 ฿576

82.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 ¥8,791

$53.5 ฿1,760

5.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 ¥1,965

$7.48 ฿246

68.72%

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

$633 ¥98.5K

$557 ฿18.3K

13.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K ¥2.3M

$11.9K ฿389.7K

22.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 ¥9,455

$64.1 ฿2,107

-5.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.25 ¥5,019

$29.07 ฿956

10.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 ¥9,317

$96.0 ฿3,155

-37.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 ¥15.6K

$90.3 ฿2,970

10.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$469 ¥73.0K

$730 ฿24.0K

-35.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ¥46.4K

$500 ฿16.4K

-40.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 ¥164.4K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-49.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ¥122.9K

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-34.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,552 ¥708.4K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

26.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,860 ¥289.5K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-25.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,792 ¥434.5K

$503 ฿16.6K

454.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-64.09%

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

Last update for Suginami-ku: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $469 in Suginami-ku and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suginami-ku pays 455% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Suginami-ku vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $273 per month, with Phuket 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

Suginami-ku vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suginami-ku is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 455% higher in Suginami-ku, 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: $469 in Suginami-ku versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $633 in Suginami-ku versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,203 in Suginami-ku versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suginami-ku but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Suginami-ku the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Suginami-ku 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, Suginami-ku 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 Suginami-ku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.