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: $1,385 in Yokohama versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,142 in Yokohama versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,898 in Yokohama versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Yokohama is roughly 9% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yokohama is 0% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.51 ¥1,000

$4.66 ฿154

39.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 ¥6,433

$32.22 ฿1,065

30.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥798

$8.68 ฿287

-40.09%

Cappuccino

$3.48 ¥534

$2.90 ฿95.8

20.00%

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

$1.12 ¥172

$0.84 ฿27.89

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥118

$0.49 ฿16.16

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ¥389

$2.48 ฿82.0

2.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ¥491

$3.73 ฿123

-14.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 ¥217

$1.89 ฿62.3

-25.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥272

$1.41 ฿46.54

25.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 ¥560

$1.62 ฿53.6

124.69%

Eggs

$2.07 ¥318

$2.24 ฿74.1

-7.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 ¥1,851

$19.84 ฿656

-39.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.15 ¥944

$3.48 ฿115

76.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.67 ¥2,252

$11.37 ฿376

29.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 ¥905

$2.90 ฿95.8

103.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 ¥428

$1.72 ฿57.0

62.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ¥446

$2.27 ฿75.1

28.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 ¥647

$2.13 ฿70.4

97.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 ¥401

$1.47 ฿48.72

77.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 ¥412

$1.42 ฿46.92

88.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ¥204

$1.10 ฿36.25

20.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥118

$0.60 ฿19.76

28.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.92 ¥602

$4.31 ฿142

-9.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.37 ¥979

$18.60 ฿615

-65.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥277

$1.80 ฿59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥320

$2.97 ฿98.0

-29.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 ¥213

$2.25 ฿74.2

-38.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ¥8,856

$23.49 ฿776

145.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥484

$3.10 ฿102

1.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 ¥403

$1.08 ฿35.56

142.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.02 ¥3,227

$3.87 ฿128

443.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥176

$1.43 ฿47.16

-19.58%

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

$21.7K ¥3.3M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-22.00%

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

$19.0K ¥2.9M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-29.41%

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

$135 ¥20.8K

$105 ฿3,462

29.03%

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

$25.04 ¥3,845

$11.39 ฿376

119.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.42 ¥4,978

$17.54 ฿580

84.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 ¥7,879

$54.3 ฿1,795

-5.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ¥1,815

$11.44 ฿378

3.32%

Cinema Ticket

$12.88 ¥1,977

$7.78 ฿257

65.55%

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

$647 ¥99.3K

$576 ฿19.0K

12.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥2.3M

$11.6K ฿382.7K

27.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 ¥10.0K

$63.6 ฿2,103

2.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.63 ¥5,011

$29.10 ฿961

12.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.2 ¥9,708

$96.2 ฿3,179

-34.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ¥15.9K

$90.0 ฿2,974

14.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥182.9K

$733 ฿24.2K

62.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ¥70.6K

$501 ฿16.5K

-8.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,333 ¥358.2K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

9.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$855 ¥131.2K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-31.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,041 ¥1.1M

$3,534 ฿116.8K

99.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,103 ¥630.0K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

56.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,740 ¥420.7K

$508 ฿16.8K

439.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.12

5.57

-61.94%

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

Last update for Yokohama: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,191 in Yokohama and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yokohama pays 440% 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: $42.00 in Yokohama vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $275 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

Yokohama vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 440% higher in Yokohama, 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: $1,191 in Yokohama versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $647 in Yokohama versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Yokohama. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,385 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 9% less than in Yokohama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.