Cost of Living Comparison Between Yokohama and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Yokohama and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,422 in Yokohama versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,170 in Yokohama versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,918 in Yokohama versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Yokohama is roughly 15% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yokohama is 6% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.88 ¥1,098

$4.63 ฿151

48.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.10 ¥6,556

$46.84 ฿1,523

-12.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 ¥865

$8.84 ฿287

-38.69%

Cappuccino

$3.14 ¥501

$3.00 ฿97.4

4.67%

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

$1.15 ¥184

$0.74 ฿24.11

55.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥120

$0.37 ฿11.88

102.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 ¥334

$2.44 ฿79.3

-14.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ¥486

$3.61 ฿117

-15.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ¥249

$2.26 ฿73.5

-30.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 ¥270

$1.84 ฿59.8

-8.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.95 ¥790

$2.24 ฿73.0

120.98%

Eggs

$2.29 ¥365

$2.32 ฿75.3

-1.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 ¥1,591

$19.67 ฿639

-49.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 ¥1,012

$3.65 ฿119

73.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.45 ¥2,464

$13.10 ฿426

17.94%

Apples (1kg)

$6.18 ¥986

$3.39 ฿110

82.30%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 ¥501

$1.64 ฿53.4

91.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.99 ¥636

$2.41 ฿78.5

65.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.05 ¥965

$2.03 ฿66.0

198.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 ¥534

$1.56 ฿50.6

114.74%

Onion (1kg)

$4.29 ¥684

$1.50 ฿48.66

186.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ¥213

$1.02 ฿33.30

31.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ¥142

$0.49 ฿15.91

81.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 ¥661

$4.45 ฿145

-6.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.31 ¥1,006

$18.88 ฿614

-66.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥292

$1.78 ฿57.7

2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥328

$2.75 ฿89.5

-25.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 ¥248

$1.40 ฿45.54

11.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.8 ¥8,908

$11.48 ฿373

386.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 ¥568

$3.12 ฿101

14.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 ¥422

$1.00 ฿32.48

164.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.08 ¥3,523

$14.09 ฿458

56.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥197

$1.35 ฿43.93

-8.89%

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

$23.2K ¥3.7M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-14.80%

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

$18.5K ¥3.0M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-43.72%

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

$145 ¥23.1K

$125 ฿4,063

15.86%

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

$27.62 ¥4,407

$13.57 ฿441

103.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.00 ¥5,425

$18.52 ฿602

83.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ¥8,784

$61.5 ฿1,999

-10.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.91 ¥2,219

$16.84 ฿547

-17.40%

Cinema Ticket

$13.52 ¥2,157

$9.19 ฿299

47.12%

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

$285 ¥45.5K

$698 ฿22.7K

-59.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K ¥2.2M

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-12.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.28 ¥6,585

$57.8 ฿1,878

-28.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.93 ¥4,775

$35.24 ฿1,146

-15.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 ¥9,664

$113 ฿3,677

-46.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ¥18.0K

$86.4 ฿2,808

30.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ¥132.3K

$616 ฿20.0K

34.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 ¥77.2K

$446 ฿14.5K

8.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ¥203.8K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-37.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$866 ¥138.1K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-41.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,106 ¥974.1K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

61.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,173 ¥665.8K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

57.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,623 ¥418.5K

$524 ฿17.0K

400.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.05

5.33

-61.54%

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

Last update for Yokohama: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Yokohama and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yokohama pays 401% 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: $41.00 in Yokohama vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $292, 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

Yokohama 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 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Yokohama pays 401% more on average, 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: $829 in Yokohama versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $285 in Yokohama versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Yokohama. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,422 in Yokohama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Yokohama. 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 Yokohama, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Yokohama 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 15% less than in Yokohama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.