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: $1,177 in Suginami-ku versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,890 in Suginami-ku versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,602 in Suginami-ku versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Suginami-ku costs roughly 6% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Suginami-ku 12% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.98 ¥1,134

$4.55 ฿153

53.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.14 ¥5,710

$46.18 ฿1,553

-23.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥824

$8.84 ฿297

-42.65%

Cappuccino

$3.19 ¥518

$3.06 ฿103

4.25%

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

$1.13 ¥184

$0.73 ฿24.40

54.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥124

$0.40 ฿13.39

92.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ¥329

$2.43 ฿81.8

-16.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥331

$3.78 ฿127

-46.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥255

$2.26 ฿76.0

-30.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 ¥283

$1.81 ฿60.9

-3.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.97 ¥808

$2.25 ฿75.8

120.89%

Eggs

$1.58 ¥257

$2.25 ฿75.5

-29.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 ¥1,624

$19.51 ฿656

-48.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 ¥1,041

$3.65 ฿123

75.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.32 ¥2,489

$13.05 ฿439

17.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 ¥958

$3.23 ฿109

82.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 ¥509

$1.62 ฿54.4

93.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 ¥662

$2.38 ฿80.1

71.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 ¥748

$2.03 ฿68.1

126.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥541

$1.53 ฿51.6

117.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ¥605

$1.50 ฿50.5

148.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 ¥226

$0.98 ฿32.91

41.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥141

$0.52 ฿17.39

65.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 ¥674

$4.44 ฿149

-6.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.44 ¥1,534

$18.32 ฿616

-48.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥284

$1.86 ฿62.7

-5.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ¥344

$2.68 ฿90.1

-20.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 ¥262

$1.41 ฿47.46

14.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.5 ¥8,855

$11.70 ฿393

365.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ¥568

$3.11 ฿105

12.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.01 ¥489

$1.04 ฿35.06

189.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.25 ¥3,616

$14.11 ฿474

57.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥202

$1.31 ฿44.10

-4.58%

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

$22.8K ¥3.7M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-18.09%

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

$18.6K ¥3.0M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-43.95%

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

$83.6 ¥13.6K

$122 ฿4,118

-31.74%

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

$27.56 ¥4,478

$13.59 ฿457

102.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.22 ¥5,560

$18.70 ฿629

82.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 ¥9,229

$60.5 ฿2,034

-6.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.94 ¥2,265

$16.98 ฿571

-17.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 ¥1,864

$9.07 ฿305

26.46%

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

$287 ¥46.6K

$706 ฿23.8K

-59.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K ¥2.2M

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-12.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.67 ¥3,359

$58.6 ฿1,969

-64.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.29 ¥4,759

$35.36 ฿1,189

-17.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 ¥9,852

$115 ฿3,883

-47.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 ¥15.9K

$83.7 ฿2,816

16.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥76.6K

$626 ฿21.0K

-24.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 ¥54.3K

$445 ฿15.0K

-24.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 ¥139.2K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-58.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 ¥108.6K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-55.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,568 ¥742.1K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

31.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,023 ¥328.7K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-21.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,703 ¥439.2K

$500 ฿16.8K

440.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-62.48%

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

Last update for Suginami-ku: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $471 in Suginami-ku and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suginami-ku pays 441% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Suginami-ku vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 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

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

Suginami-ku is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 441% 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: $471 in Suginami-ku versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $287 in Suginami-ku 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 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,177 in Suginami-ku versus $1,250 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 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.