Cost of Living Comparison Between Kawagoe and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kawagoe and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,239 in Kawagoe versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,003 in Kawagoe versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,766 in Kawagoe versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Kawagoe costs roughly 2% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kawagoe 8% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.99 ¥1,119

$4.70 ฿153

48.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.40 ¥5,504

$45.37 ฿1,482

-24.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 ¥812

$8.43 ฿275

-39.74%

Cappuccino

$2.89 ¥463

$2.93 ฿95.6

-1.37%

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

$1.06 ¥169

$0.69 ฿22.40

53.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥120

$0.37 ฿11.99

102.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ¥326

$2.41 ฿78.6

-15.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥342

$3.72 ฿122

-42.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥280

$2.23 ฿72.9

-21.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 ¥307

$1.83 ฿59.8

4.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.86 ¥1,257

$2.17 ฿70.8

262.21%

Eggs

$1.50 ¥239

$2.21 ฿72.3

-32.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 ¥1,928

$19.74 ฿645

-38.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.15 ¥1,943

$3.63 ฿119

234.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.81 ¥2,689

$13.53 ฿442

24.24%

Apples (1kg)

$7.69 ¥1,230

$3.28 ฿107

134.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 ¥407

$1.61 ฿52.6

58.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.60 ¥736

$2.41 ฿78.6

90.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 ¥737

$2.08 ฿68.1

121.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.69 ¥590

$1.53 ฿49.93

141.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.70 ¥592

$1.48 ฿48.36

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 ¥370

$0.99 ฿32.29

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 ¥198

$0.51 ฿16.67

143.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ¥676

$4.41 ฿144

-4.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 ¥1,319

$19.38 ฿633

-57.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 ¥411

$1.78 ฿58.1

44.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 ¥541

$2.71 ฿88.6

24.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 ¥253

$1.37 ฿44.79

15.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.1 ¥8,807

$11.39 ฿372

383.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 ¥550

$3.02 ฿98.6

13.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 ¥477

$0.99 ฿32.48

201.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.79 ¥3,325

$14.10 ฿461

47.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ¥192

$1.36 ฿44.51

-11.76%

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

$24.0K ¥3.8M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-14.74%

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

$17.0K ¥2.7M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-48.39%

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

$84.9 ¥13.6K

$122 ฿3,975

-30.23%

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

$10.57 ¥1,691

$13.57 ฿443

-22.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.16 ¥2,745

$18.31 ฿598

-6.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 ¥11.9K

$60.2 ฿1,967

23.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ¥2,246

$17.14 ฿560

-18.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.34 ¥1,814

$8.69 ฿284

30.49%

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

$281 ¥45.0K

$693 ฿22.6K

-59.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-15.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.74 ¥6,838

$59.5 ฿1,944

-28.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.01 ¥4,802

$34.77 ฿1,136

-13.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.1 ¥9,622

$115 ฿3,743

-47.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 ¥15.4K

$83.3 ฿2,720

15.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ¥74.2K

$613 ฿20.0K

-24.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 ¥51.9K

$437 ฿14.3K

-25.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$865 ¥138.4K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-58.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 ¥105.6K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-56.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,468 ¥394.9K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-34.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,363 ¥378.1K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-9.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,589 ¥254.2K

$508 ฿16.6K

212.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-62.48%

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

Last update for Kawagoe: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Kawagoe and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kawagoe pays 213% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Kawagoe vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $395 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

Kawagoe vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kawagoe and Phuket differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,239 vs $1,265 including rent). Kawagoe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kawagoe pays 213% 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: $464 in Kawagoe versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kawagoe – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,239 per month in Kawagoe versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,239 in Kawagoe versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kawagoe but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kawagoe 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, Kawagoe 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 Kawagoe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.