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: $1,216 in Tsushima Island versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,898 in Tsushima Island versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,580 in Tsushima Island versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Tsushima Island costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tsushima Island 11% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.85 ¥1,075

$4.41 ฿147

55.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.32 ¥5,383

$32.26 ฿1,074

6.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 ¥866

$8.93 ฿297

-38.19%

Cappuccino

$3.05 ¥479

$2.90 ฿96.4

5.17%

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

$1.09 ¥171

$0.88 ฿29.30

23.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.48 ฿16.01

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 ¥325

$2.35 ฿78.3

-11.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ¥496

$3.72 ฿124

-15.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥241

$1.87 ฿62.1

-17.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ¥251

$1.47 ฿48.81

8.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.81 ¥754

$1.55 ฿51.7

210.32%

Eggs

$2.23 ¥350

$2.10 ฿70.0

6.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 ¥1,572

$19.59 ฿652

-48.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 ¥1,013

$3.42 ฿114

88.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.35 ¥2,408

$11.38 ฿379

34.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 ¥838

$2.98 ฿99.3

79.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥411

$1.68 ฿56.1

55.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 ¥635

$2.21 ฿73.5

83.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 ¥725

$2.16 ฿72.0

113.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥522

$1.52 ฿50.8

119.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ¥422

$1.34 ฿44.55

100.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ¥207

$1.13 ฿37.57

16.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ¥140

$0.55 ฿18.19

61.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ¥657

$4.26 ฿142

-1.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.62 ¥1,038

$19.09 ฿635

-65.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 ¥314

$1.78 ฿59.2

12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 ¥374

$2.78 ฿92.6

-14.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 ¥260

$2.23 ฿74.2

-25.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.5 ¥8,554

$22.74 ฿757

139.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 ¥535

$3.03 ฿101

12.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 ¥449

$1.02 ฿34.06

181.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.83 ¥3,267

$3.89 ฿130

435.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥186

$1.49 ฿49.63

-20.81%

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

$22.8K ¥3.6M

$26.6K ฿884.9K

-14.06%

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

$17.3K ¥2.7M

$27.0K ฿899.8K

-35.88%

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

$139 ¥21.8K

$102 ฿3,411

35.46%

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

$27.55 ¥4,321

$11.33 ฿377

143.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.49 ¥5,252

$17.40 ฿579

92.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 ¥9,030

$52.1 ฿1,734

10.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.94 ¥2,186

$11.07 ฿369

25.93%

Cinema Ticket

$13.12 ¥2,058

$7.69 ฿256

70.61%

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

$284 ¥44.5K

$561 ฿18.7K

-49.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.1M

$11.5K ฿383.0K

17.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.05 ¥6,909

$63.0 ฿2,098

-30.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.97 ¥4,543

$29.52 ฿983

-1.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 ¥9,438

$98.0 ฿3,263

-38.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 ¥14.4K

$88.5 ฿2,946

4.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥73.1K

$738 ฿24.6K

-36.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 ¥51.8K

$482 ฿16.1K

-31.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥133.7K

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-59.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 ¥103.5K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-46.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,859 ¥448.4K

$3,617 ฿120.4K

-20.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,775 ¥278.4K

$2,603 ฿86.7K

-31.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.81

5.57

-67.50%

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

Last update for Tsushima Island: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $466 in Tsushima Island and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Tsushima Island vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $274 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

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

Tsushima Island is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,824 in Tsushima Island and $1,847 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: $466 in Tsushima Island versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 in Tsushima Island versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,216 in Tsushima Island versus $1,232 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 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.