Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokushima and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokushima and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,342 in Tokushima versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,111 in Tokushima versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,881 in Tokushima versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Tokushima is roughly 7% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokushima is 0% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.40 ¥1,365

$4.55 ฿153

84.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.91 ¥5,673

$46.18 ฿1,553

-24.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.07 ¥986

$8.84 ฿297

-31.33%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ¥502

$3.06 ฿103

0.98%

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

$1.20 ¥195

$0.73 ฿24.40

64.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥124

$0.40 ฿13.39

90.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 ¥562

$2.43 ฿81.8

42.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ¥498

$3.78 ฿127

-19.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥263

$2.26 ฿76.0

-28.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ¥293

$1.81 ฿60.9

-0.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.11 ¥830

$2.25 ฿75.8

127.11%

Eggs

$2.52 ¥409

$2.25 ฿75.5

12.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.41 ¥2,829

$19.51 ฿656

-10.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 ¥1,276

$3.65 ฿123

115.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ¥2,484

$13.05 ฿439

17.16%

Apples (1kg)

$9.13 ¥1,483

$3.23 ฿109

182.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 ¥466

$1.62 ฿54.4

77.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.76 ¥773

$2.38 ฿80.1

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.04 ¥1,144

$2.03 ฿68.1

246.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.96 ¥644

$1.53 ฿51.6

158.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥417

$1.50 ฿50.5

70.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 ¥214

$0.98 ฿32.91

33.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥147

$0.52 ฿17.39

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ¥549

$4.44 ฿149

-23.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.19 ¥1,492

$18.32 ฿616

-49.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 ¥462

$1.86 ฿62.7

52.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥372

$2.68 ฿90.1

-14.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥260

$1.41 ฿47.46

13.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 ¥9,038

$11.70 ฿393

375.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ¥579

$3.11 ฿105

14.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.03 ¥492

$1.04 ฿35.06

191.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.42 ¥5,592

$14.11 ฿474

143.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥202

$1.31 ฿44.10

-5.34%

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

$23.3K ¥3.8M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-16.09%

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

$16.7K ¥2.7M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-49.59%

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

$143 ¥23.3K

$122 ฿4,118

16.88%

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

$27.14 ¥4,410

$13.59 ฿457

99.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.69 ¥5,636

$18.70 ฿629

85.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.4 ¥10.6K

$60.5 ฿2,034

8.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.71 ¥2,227

$16.98 ฿571

-19.26%

Cinema Ticket

$12.72 ¥2,067

$9.07 ฿305

40.24%

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

$473 ¥76.8K

$706 ฿23.8K

-33.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ¥1.9M

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-27.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.48 ¥7,553

$58.6 ฿1,969

-20.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.95 ¥5,192

$35.36 ฿1,189

-9.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.8 ¥9,236

$115 ฿3,883

-50.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 ¥15.1K

$83.7 ฿2,816

11.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$462 ¥75.0K

$626 ฿21.0K

-26.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥53.9K

$445 ฿15.0K

-25.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 ¥140.0K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-57.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 ¥108.1K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-55.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,353 ¥707.3K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

25.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,065 ¥335.5K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-19.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,387 ¥225.4K

$500 ฿16.8K

177.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

5.33

-66.60%

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

Last update for Tokushima: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $462 in Tokushima and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokushima pays 178% 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: $35.00 in Tokushima vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 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

Tokushima vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 178% higher in Tokushima, 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: $462 in Tokushima versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $473 in Tokushima versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Tokushima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,342 in Tokushima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tokushima. 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 Tokushima, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tokushima 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 7% less than in Tokushima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.