Cost of Living Comparison Between Kitakyushu and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kitakyushu and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,290 per month in Kitakyushu vs $1,261 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,998 per month in Kitakyushu vs $2,286 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,706 per month in Kitakyushu vs $3,310 in Phuket, rent included.

Kitakyushu costs about 2% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Kitakyushu and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Kitakyushu 4% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.35 ¥1,175

$4.56 ฿149

61.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.01 ¥6,719

$46.63 ฿1,519

-9.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.93 ¥788

$8.47 ฿276

-41.79%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ¥483

$3.03 ฿98.6

-0.33%

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

$1.09 ¥174

$0.69 ฿22.45

57.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥124

$0.37 ฿11.92

108.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ¥419

$2.49 ฿81.0

5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ¥513

$3.66 ฿119

-12.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ¥250

$2.18 ฿71.0

-28.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 ¥266

$1.90 ฿62.0

-12.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.05 ¥648

$2.20 ฿71.6

84.09%

Eggs

$2.54 ¥407

$2.22 ฿72.4

14.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 ¥1,617

$19.99 ฿651

-49.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 ¥995

$3.66 ฿119

69.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.46 ¥3,273

$13.25 ฿432

54.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 ¥508

$3.23 ฿105

-1.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 ¥218

$1.70 ฿55.3

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 ¥219

$2.39 ฿78.0

-42.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 ¥500

$2.08 ฿67.7

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 ¥453

$1.59 ฿51.8

77.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 ¥498

$1.48 ฿48.31

110.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ¥147

$1.03 ฿33.54

-10.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥127

$0.52 ฿16.83

51.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥638

$4.25 ฿138

-6.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 ¥990

$18.79 ฿612

-67.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥312

$1.76 ฿57.2

10.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥341

$2.76 ฿89.8

-22.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 ¥263

$1.36 ฿44.32

21.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 ¥8,888

$11.36 ฿370

389.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 ¥748

$3.14 ฿102

48.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.92 ¥467

$1.04 ฿33.74

180.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.35 ¥3,095

$13.77 ฿448

40.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥189

$1.34 ฿43.79

-11.94%

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

$23.1K ¥3.7M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-16.59%

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

$19.8K ¥3.2M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-41.58%

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

$217 ¥34.7K

$124 ฿4,025

75.52%

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

$26.66 ¥4,263

$13.52 ฿440

97.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.62 ¥5,697

$18.69 ฿609

90.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 ¥9,022

$61.8 ฿2,013

-8.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.65 ¥2,183

$17.25 ฿562

-20.87%

Cinema Ticket

$14.11 ¥2,256

$9.14 ฿298

54.38%

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

$418 ¥66.8K

$703 ฿22.9K

-40.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K ¥2.1M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-16.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.39 ¥6,939

$59.5 ฿1,937

-27.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.98 ¥4,635

$35.07 ฿1,142

-17.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.9 ¥10.4K

$115 ฿3,754

-43.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.5 ¥9,512

$84.1 ฿2,737

-29.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 ¥74.1K

$619 ฿20.1K

-25.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ¥52.5K

$433 ฿14.1K

-24.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$856 ¥136.9K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-58.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 ¥105.9K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-56.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,507 ¥720.9K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

23.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,376 ¥380.0K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-9.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,503 ¥240.3K

$507 ฿16.5K

196.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

5.33

-68.67%

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

Last update for Kitakyushu: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $463 in Kitakyushu versus $619 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 196% higher in Kitakyushu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Kitakyushu versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $281 vs $293 – making Kitakyushu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Kitakyushu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,290 in Kitakyushu, $1,261 in Phuket – roughly 2% apart. Kitakyushu costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,935 per month in Kitakyushu and $1,892 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Kitakyushu – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Kitakyushu and $47.00 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 $1,261, than in Kitakyushu at $1,290. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kitakyushu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Kitakyushu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,261 in Phuket to $1,290 in Kitakyushu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Kitakyushu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.