Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamamatsu and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamamatsu and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,109 in Hamamatsu versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,844 in Hamamatsu versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,579 in Hamamatsu versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Hamamatsu costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hamamatsu 17% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.99 ¥798

$4.56 ฿149

9.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.88 ¥6,538

$46.63 ฿1,519

-12.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.44 ¥550

$8.47 ฿276

-59.39%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ¥490

$3.03 ฿98.6

1.32%

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

$0.72 ¥115

$0.69 ฿22.45

4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥120

$0.37 ฿11.92

102.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 ¥331

$2.49 ฿81.0

-16.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ¥440

$3.66 ฿119

-24.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥242

$2.18 ฿71.0

-30.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥276

$1.90 ฿62.0

-8.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 ¥799

$2.20 ฿71.6

127.27%

Eggs

$1.82 ¥291

$2.22 ฿72.4

-18.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 ¥1,588

$19.99 ฿651

-50.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 ¥997

$3.66 ฿119

70.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.56 ¥2,489

$13.25 ฿432

17.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 ¥675

$3.23 ฿105

30.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 ¥336

$1.70 ฿55.3

23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 ¥544

$2.39 ฿78.0

42.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 ¥682

$2.08 ฿67.7

104.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 ¥543

$1.59 ฿51.8

113.84%

Onion (1kg)

$4.18 ¥668

$1.48 ฿48.31

182.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ¥223

$1.03 ฿33.54

35.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥140

$0.52 ฿16.83

69.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 ¥563

$4.25 ฿138

-17.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.40 ¥1,504

$18.79 ฿612

-49.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ¥284

$1.76 ฿57.2

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ¥331

$2.76 ฿89.8

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ¥162

$1.36 ฿44.32

-25.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.8 ¥8,770

$11.36 ฿370

382.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 ¥542

$3.14 ฿102

7.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 ¥468

$1.04 ฿33.74

181.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.59 ¥3,613

$13.77 ฿448

64.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ¥193

$1.34 ฿43.79

-9.70%

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

$20.9K ¥3.3M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-24.49%

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

$14.0K ¥2.2M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-58.64%

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

$109 ¥17.4K

$124 ฿4,025

-11.86%

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

$9.72 ¥1,554

$13.52 ฿440

-28.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.01 ¥3,360

$18.69 ฿609

12.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 ¥16.8K

$61.8 ฿2,013

69.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.77 ¥3,002

$17.25 ฿562

8.81%

Cinema Ticket

$13.50 ¥2,160

$9.14 ฿298

47.70%

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

$278 ¥44.5K

$703 ฿22.9K

-60.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K ¥2.3M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-11.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.38 ¥6,778

$59.5 ฿1,937

-28.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.81 ¥4,448

$35.07 ฿1,142

-20.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.6 ¥8,737

$115 ฿3,754

-52.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥16.9K

$84.1 ฿2,737

25.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 ¥60.2K

$619 ฿20.1K

-39.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 ¥39.1K

$433 ฿14.1K

-43.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$871 ¥139.3K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-57.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 ¥92.9K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-61.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 ¥1.2M

$3,646 ฿118.7K

107.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,304 ¥848.4K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

102.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,248 ¥199.6K

$507 ฿16.5K

146.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

0.95

5.33

-82.18%

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

Last update for Hamamatsu: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $376 in Hamamatsu and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamamatsu pays 146% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Hamamatsu vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $293, 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

Hamamatsu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamamatsu and Phuket differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,109 vs $1,261 including rent). Hamamatsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hamamatsu pays 146% 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: $376 in Hamamatsu versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamamatsu – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,109 in Hamamatsu versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hamamatsu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Hamamatsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hamamatsu 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 Hamamatsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.