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Phuket vs Tokyo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇯🇵 Tokyo
At a glance
- Where Phuket is clearly cheaper: Haircut (83%↓), Laundry (78%↓), Massage (71%↓)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Tokyo is easier to travel (1.6 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling — Phuket 4 vs Tokyo 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›
Item by item
| Item | Phuket | Tokyo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ฿ 130$3.94 | ¥ 1,100$7.43 | Phuket −47% |
| Street food1 item | ฿ 80$2.42 | ¥ 500$3.38 | Phuket −28% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ฿ 450$13.6 | ¥ 4,000$27 | Phuket −50% |
| Coffeeone cup | ฿ 80$2.42 | ¥ 600$4.05 | Phuket −40% |
| Beerone bottle | ฿ 110$3.33 | ¥ 650$4.39 | Phuket −24% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ฿ 250$7.58 | ¥ 1,500$10.1 | Phuket −25% |
| Bottled water | ฿ 12$0.36 | ¥ 130$0.88 | Phuket −59% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ฿ 25$0.76 | ¥ 180$1.22 | Phuket −38% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ฿ 200$6.06 | ¥ 2,400$16.2 | Phuket −63% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ฿ 100$3.03 | ¥ 1,000$6.76 | Phuket −55% |
| Transitone ride | ฿ 40$1.21 | ¥ 210$1.42 | Phuket −15% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ฿ 300$9.09 | ¥ 2,000$13.5 | Phuket −33% |
| Hotel night3-star | ฿ 2,000$60.6 | ¥ 16,000$108 | Phuket −44% |
| Studio rent (month) | ฿ 16,000$485 | ¥ 150,000$1,014 | Phuket −52% |
| Laundry | ฿ 50$1.52 | ¥ 1,000$6.76 | Phuket −78% |
| SIM card1 week data | ฿ 299$9.06 | ¥ 2,500$16.9 | Phuket −46% |
| Haircutcut | ฿ 150$4.55 | ¥ 4,000$27 | Phuket −83% |
| Massage1 hour | ฿ 350$10.6 | ¥ 5,500$37.2 | Phuket −71% |
| Half-day tourper person | ฿ 1,000$30.3 | ¥ 9,000$60.8 | Phuket −50% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ฿ 200$6.06 | ¥ 2,000$13.5 | Phuket −55% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Phuket or Tokyo?
Phuket is 47% cheaper than Tokyo. Daily budget $109 vs $212; a month $2,006 vs $3,723.
Which is easier to travel, Phuket or Tokyo?
Tokyo is easier: Tokyo 1.6/5 vs Phuket 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Phuket and Tokyo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Phuket is about $2,006 and Tokyo about $3,723 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.