Cost of Living Comparison Between Tsushima Island and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tsushima Island and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,224 in Tsushima Island versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,906 in Tsushima Island versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,589 in Tsushima Island versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Tsushima Island costs roughly 2% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tsushima Island 8% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.75 ¥1,097

$4.55 ฿153

48.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.63 ¥5,627

$46.18 ฿1,553

-25.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.50 ¥894

$8.84 ฿297

-37.78%

Cappuccino

$3.10 ¥504

$3.06 ฿103

1.31%

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

$1.09 ¥177

$0.73 ฿24.40

49.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥132

$0.40 ฿13.39

102.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 ¥340

$2.43 ฿81.8

-13.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥518

$3.78 ฿127

-15.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥257

$2.26 ฿76.0

-30.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥266

$1.81 ฿60.9

-9.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.82 ¥782

$2.25 ฿75.8

114.22%

Eggs

$2.19 ¥356

$2.25 ฿75.5

-2.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 ¥1,610

$19.51 ฿656

-49.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 ¥1,010

$3.65 ฿123

70.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.44 ¥2,509

$13.05 ฿439

18.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.29 ¥860

$3.23 ฿109

63.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 ¥431

$1.62 ฿54.4

63.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.10 ¥665

$2.38 ฿80.1

72.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 ¥754

$2.03 ฿68.1

128.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥541

$1.53 ฿51.6

117.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ¥420

$1.50 ฿50.5

72.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ¥225

$0.98 ฿32.91

40.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥144

$0.52 ฿17.39

69.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ¥672

$4.44 ฿149

-6.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.65 ¥1,081

$18.32 ฿616

-63.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥312

$1.86 ฿62.7

3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ¥381

$2.68 ฿90.1

-12.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 ¥269

$1.41 ฿47.46

17.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ¥8,983

$11.70 ฿393

372.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 ¥555

$3.11 ฿105

9.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.02 ¥491

$1.04 ฿35.06

190.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.15 ¥3,437

$14.11 ฿474

49.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥202

$1.31 ฿44.10

-4.58%

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

$23.2K ¥3.8M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-16.46%

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

$17.4K ¥2.8M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-47.75%

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

$140 ¥22.7K

$122 ฿4,118

14.33%

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

$27.46 ¥4,462

$13.59 ฿457

102.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.02 ¥5,527

$18.70 ฿629

81.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 ¥9,459

$60.5 ฿2,034

-3.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.81 ¥2,243

$16.98 ฿571

-18.67%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 ¥2,105

$9.07 ฿305

42.89%

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

$279 ¥45.4K

$706 ฿23.8K

-60.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-16.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.55 ¥7,076

$58.6 ฿1,969

-25.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.44 ¥4,783

$35.36 ฿1,189

-16.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.5 ¥9,668

$115 ฿3,883

-48.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.7 ¥14.9K

$83.7 ฿2,816

9.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ¥74.8K

$626 ฿21.0K

-26.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ¥53.2K

$445 ฿15.0K

-26.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$865 ¥140.6K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-57.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 ¥105.1K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-56.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,863 ¥465.2K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-17.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,102 ¥341.6K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-18.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.81

5.33

-66.04%

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

Last update for Tsushima Island: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $461 in Tsushima Island and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Tsushima Island vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $308 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

Tsushima Island vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tsushima Island is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,836 in Tsushima Island and $1,875 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $461 in Tsushima Island versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Tsushima Island 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 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,224 in Tsushima Island versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tsushima Island but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tsushima Island the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tsushima Island 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, Tsushima Island 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 Tsushima Island gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.