Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tsu and Phuket

For one person, living costs are similar in Tsu and in Phuket: $1,287 and $1,278 a month, rent and utilities included.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tsu
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Tsu Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Tsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,287

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tsu and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tsu and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Tsu versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Tsu $1,287
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Tsu versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Tsu $1,999
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,710 in Tsu versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Tsu $2,710
Phuket $3,154

Monthly costs are close between Tsu and Phuket; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tsu 5% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ¥982

$4.47 ฿151

39.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.49 ¥2,763

$32.41 ฿1,093

-46.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.91 ¥617

$8.81 ฿297

-55.62%

Cappuccino

$2.34 ¥369

$2.83 ฿95.4

-17.31%

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

$1.14 ¥181

$0.87 ฿29.40

31.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥90.9

$0.49 ฿16.65

18.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 ¥331

$2.56 ฿86.3

-17.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ¥372

$3.68 ฿124

-36.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥249

$1.66 ฿55.9

-4.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ¥203

$1.46 ฿49.29

-12.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.63 ¥889

$1.50 ฿50.5

275.33%

Eggs

$2.02 ¥319

$2.09 ฿70.5

-3.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 ¥1,984

$19.07 ฿643

-34.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.77 ¥1,543

$3.30 ฿111

196.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.52 ¥5,135

$10.91 ฿368

198.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 ¥581

$2.93 ฿98.8

25.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ¥362

$1.69 ฿57.0

35.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 ¥1,012

$2.25 ฿75.7

184.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 ¥659

$2.08 ฿70.0

100.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 ¥607

$1.51 ฿51.0

154.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 ¥548

$1.38 ฿46.51

151.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.07 ฿35.95

21.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥163

$0.52 ฿17.50

98.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.53 ¥558

$4.20 ฿142

-15.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ¥1,322

$18.79 ฿634

-55.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥323

$1.82 ฿61.4

12.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ¥233

$2.84 ฿95.8

-48.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥234

$1.45 ฿48.97

2.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.5 ¥8,926

$56.7 ฿1,911

-0.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 ¥509

$3.02 ฿102

6.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 ¥509

$1.02 ฿34.32

215.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.97 ¥4,259

$3.69 ฿124

630.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ¥164

$1.47 ฿49.75

-29.25%

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

$19.0K ¥3.0M

$26.8K ฿903.2K

-29.07%

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

$16.7K ¥2.6M

$26.7K ฿900.3K

-37.31%

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

$145 ¥22.8K

$96.4 ฿3,250

50.10%

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

$24.21 ¥3,824

$11.26 ฿380

115.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.47 ¥6,866

$16.85 ฿568

157.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 ¥8,107

$67.2 ฿2,268

-23.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.93 ¥2,042

$10.73 ฿362

20.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ¥1,317

$7.50 ฿253

11.20%

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

$322 ¥50.8K

$476 ฿16.1K

-32.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,217 ¥981.8K

$11.3K ฿379.9K

-44.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.15 ¥7,762

$62.4 ฿2,103

-21.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.83 ¥4,079

$28.41 ฿958

-9.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.87 ¥7,403

$94.3 ฿3,180

-50.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.4 ¥10.3K

$85.8 ฿2,894

-23.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 ¥85.9K

$716 ฿24.1K

-24.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 ¥53.9K

$491 ฿16.6K

-30.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 ¥161.2K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-47.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 ¥116.6K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-48.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,287 ¥677.0K

$4,175 ฿140.8K

2.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,268 ¥358.3K

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-25.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,511 ¥238.6K

$502 ฿16.9K

200.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.9

5.57

-65.89%

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

Last update for Tsu: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Tsu

$388 30.1%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 31.4% $122

Accommodation & Living

Tsu

$342 26.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 43.7% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tsu

$212 16.5%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 41.4% $88

Eating Out

Tsu

$112 8.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 9.1% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Tsu

$84 6.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 44.7% $38

Getting Around

Tsu

$82 6.4%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 13.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Tsu

$68 5.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 20.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $544 in Tsu and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tsu pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $17 in Tsu vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $388 vs $266, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tsu

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:40 10:40 PM

20:40 8:40 PM

2 h behind Tsu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

279,241

79,308

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tsu Phuket 4,900 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tsu
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Tsu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay in Tsu is about 3 times higher, 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: $544 in Tsu versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tsu – a meal for two runs $17 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $322 in Tsu versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Phuket gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Tsu and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Tsu on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.