Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Himeji and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,283 in Himeji, rent and utilities included – about $900 less a year. The total is higher in Himeji despite lower rent and utilities.

62

Cost of Living Index in Himeji
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Himeji Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Himeji

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,283

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Himeji and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Himeji and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,283 per month in Himeji vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Himeji $1,283
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $2,047 per month in Himeji vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Himeji $2,047
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $2,811 per month in Himeji vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Himeji $2,811
Phuket $2,845

Himeji costs about 6% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Himeji and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Himeji 5% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 ¥1,336

$4.40 ฿147

92.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.07 ¥4,909

$32.26 ฿1,078

-3.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥807

$8.76 ฿293

-41.67%

Cappuccino

$2.35 ¥371

$2.83 ฿94.5

-16.96%

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

$1.24 ¥196

$0.90 ฿30.14

37.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥129

$0.47 ฿15.56

74.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ¥505

$2.55 ฿85.2

25.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ¥483

$3.83 ฿128

-20.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ¥247

$1.73 ฿57.7

-9.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ¥233

$1.47 ฿49.11

0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 ¥650

$1.51 ฿50.6

172.85%

Eggs

$2.18 ¥344

$2.17 ฿72.7

0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.50 ¥2,449

$19.70 ฿658

-21.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 ¥1,072

$3.34 ฿112

102.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.88 ¥2,667

$11.16 ฿373

51.25%

Apples (1kg)

$8.37 ¥1,323

$2.85 ฿95.1

193.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 ¥470

$1.70 ฿56.9

74.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.06 ¥799

$2.19 ฿73.3

131.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.86 ¥1,241

$2.05 ฿68.4

283.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 ¥617

$1.45 ฿48.57

168.97%

Onion (1kg)

$4.70 ¥743

$1.38 ฿46.16

240.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ¥177

$1.07 ฿35.69

4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ¥141

$0.51 ฿16.91

74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 ¥611

$4.26 ฿142

-9.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 ¥1,539

$18.58 ฿621

-47.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ¥412

$1.78 ฿59.7

46.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥332

$2.85 ฿95.2

-26.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥228

$2.26 ฿75.6

-36.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 ¥8,373

$22.10 ฿738

139.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 ¥494

$3.01 ฿101

3.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.82 ¥446

$1.06 ฿35.34

166.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.45 ¥2,441

$3.86 ฿129

300.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥168

$1.45 ฿48.45

-26.21%

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-18.31%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-43.96%

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

$118 ¥18.6K

$96.4 ฿3,221

22.04%

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

$23.44 ¥3,704

$11.04 ฿369

112.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.67 ¥5,003

$17.14 ฿573

84.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ¥8,314

$52.2 ฿1,744

0.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 ¥1,795

$7.81 ฿261

45.45%

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

$564 ¥89.1K

$556 ฿18.6K

1.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ¥2.3M

$11.6K ฿387.0K

27.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.92 ¥7,886

$64.2 ฿2,146

-22.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.51 ¥5,611

$28.69 ฿959

23.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 ¥9,739

$95.4 ฿3,187

-35.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 ¥15.7K

$88.0 ฿2,940

12.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥85.4K

$737 ฿24.6K

-26.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ¥51.8K

$462 ฿15.5K

-29.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 ¥173.8K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-47.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.2K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-39.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,304 ¥680.0K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

23.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 ¥272.5K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-31.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

5.57

-63.73%

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

Last update for Himeji: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Himeji

$379 29.5%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 29.1% $110

Accommodation & Living

Himeji

$328 25.6%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 40.9% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Himeji

$173 13.5%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 27.9% $48

Eating Out

Himeji

$142 11%

Phuket

$121 10% 14.3% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Himeji

$111 8.6%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 12.2% $13

Getting Around

Himeji

$76 5.9%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 48.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Himeji

$75 5.9%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 10% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $541 in Himeji versus $737 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Himeji versus $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $379 in Himeji vs $269 in Phuket – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Himeji

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

04:15 4:15 AM

02:15 2:15 AM

2 h behind Himeji

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

535,571

79,308

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Himeji Phuket 4,760 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Himeji
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Himeji vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Himeji is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,925 per month in Himeji and $1,813 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Himeji, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Himeji and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Himeji at $1,283. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Himeji it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Himeji makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.