Cost of Living Comparison Between Kamakura and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kamakura and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Kamakura versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,992 in Kamakura versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,690 in Kamakura versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Kamakura is roughly 2% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kamakura 3% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.05 ¥1,127

$4.70 ฿154

50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 ¥5,625

$45.37 ฿1,483

-22.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ¥907

$8.43 ฿276

-32.74%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ¥501

$2.93 ฿95.7

6.83%

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

$1.21 ¥194

$0.69 ฿22.42

75.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥121

$0.37 ฿12.00

105.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 ¥331

$2.41 ฿78.7

-14.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥509

$3.72 ฿122

-14.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥244

$2.23 ฿73.0

-31.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥281

$1.83 ฿59.9

-4.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.02 ¥803

$2.17 ฿70.9

131.34%

Eggs

$2.27 ¥364

$2.21 ฿72.4

2.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 ¥2,209

$19.74 ฿645

-30.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 ¥1,099

$3.63 ฿119

89.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.62 ¥2,818

$13.53 ฿442

30.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.91 ¥946

$3.28 ฿107

80.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 ¥462

$1.61 ฿52.7

79.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 ¥654

$2.41 ฿78.7

69.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.09 ¥974

$2.08 ฿68.1

192.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 ¥523

$1.53 ฿49.97

113.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 ¥411

$1.48 ฿48.41

73.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 ¥222

$0.99 ฿32.32

40.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ¥169

$0.51 ฿16.68

107.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 ¥545

$4.41 ฿144

-22.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 ¥1,483

$19.38 ฿634

-52.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ¥294

$1.78 ฿58.1

3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 ¥383

$2.71 ฿88.7

-11.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 ¥258

$1.37 ฿44.83

17.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ¥8,849

$11.39 ฿372

385.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ¥559

$3.02 ฿98.7

15.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 ¥477

$0.99 ฿32.51

201.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.59 ¥2,814

$14.10 ฿461

24.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥197

$1.36 ฿44.55

-9.56%

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

$23.6K ¥3.8M

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-16.35%

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

$16.9K ¥2.7M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-48.60%

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

$143 ¥22.9K

$122 ฿3,978

17.49%

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

$26.75 ¥4,278

$13.57 ฿444

97.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.96 ¥5,432

$18.31 ฿599

85.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 ¥8,853

$60.2 ฿1,969

-8.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ¥2,245

$17.14 ฿560

-18.09%

Cinema Ticket

$12.51 ¥2,001

$8.69 ฿284

43.96%

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

$287 ¥45.8K

$693 ฿22.7K

-58.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ¥1.8M

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-28.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.28 ¥6,763

$59.5 ฿1,946

-28.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.29 ¥4,685

$34.77 ฿1,137

-15.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.6 ¥9,046

$115 ฿3,746

-50.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.6 ¥15.0K

$83.3 ฿2,723

12.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 ¥76.2K

$613 ฿20.0K

-22.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 ¥52.2K

$437 ฿14.3K

-25.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$864 ¥138.2K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-58.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 ¥104.9K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-56.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,481 ¥716.7K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

19.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,206 ¥352.9K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-15.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,760 ¥281.5K

$508 ฿16.6K

246.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

5.33

-66.60%

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

Last update for Kamakura: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Kamakura and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kamakura pays 246% 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: $35.00 in Kamakura vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 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

Kamakura 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 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Kamakura pays 246% 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: $476 in Kamakura versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $287 in Kamakura versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Kamakura. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,294 in Kamakura, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kamakura. 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 Kamakura, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kamakura 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 2% less than in Kamakura. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.