Cost of Living Comparison Between Kumamoto and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kumamoto and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,268 in Kumamoto versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,969 in Kumamoto versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,670 in Kumamoto versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Kumamoto is roughly 1% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kumamoto 5% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.57 ¥1,392

$4.55 ฿153

88.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 ¥5,693

$46.18 ฿1,553

-24.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 ¥979

$8.84 ฿297

-31.79%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ¥499

$3.06 ฿103

0.33%

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

$0.70 ¥114

$0.73 ฿24.40

-4.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥134

$0.40 ฿13.39

107.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 ¥263

$2.43 ฿81.8

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥341

$3.78 ฿127

-44.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥219

$2.26 ฿76.0

-40.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 ¥269

$1.81 ฿60.9

-8.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 ¥663

$2.25 ฿75.8

81.33%

Eggs

$2.10 ¥341

$2.25 ฿75.5

-6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 ¥1,650

$19.51 ฿656

-47.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 ¥1,023

$3.65 ฿123

72.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.78 ¥3,376

$13.05 ฿439

59.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 ¥503

$3.23 ฿109

-4.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ¥228

$1.62 ฿54.4

-12.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 ¥230

$2.38 ฿80.1

-40.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 ¥968

$2.03 ฿68.1

193.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 ¥460

$1.53 ฿51.6

84.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 ¥507

$1.50 ฿50.5

108.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 ¥147

$0.98 ฿32.91

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥120

$0.52 ฿17.39

42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 ¥641

$4.44 ฿149

-11.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.47 ¥889

$18.32 ฿616

-70.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 ¥321

$1.86 ฿62.7

6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥333

$2.68 ฿90.1

-23.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 ¥261

$1.41 ฿47.46

14.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.1 ¥8,948

$11.70 ฿393

370.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.72 ¥766

$3.11 ฿105

51.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 ¥469

$1.04 ฿35.06

177.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.40 ¥3,153

$14.11 ฿474

37.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥200

$1.31 ฿44.10

-6.11%

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

$23.6K ¥3.8M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-15.14%

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

$19.6K ¥3.2M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-40.88%

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

$214 ¥34.8K

$122 ฿4,118

74.86%

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

$26.96 ¥4,380

$13.59 ฿457

98.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.22 ¥5,884

$18.70 ฿629

93.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 ¥9,112

$60.5 ฿2,034

-7.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ¥2,282

$16.98 ฿571

-17.31%

Cinema Ticket

$13.83 ¥2,246

$9.07 ฿305

52.48%

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

$409 ¥66.5K

$706 ฿23.8K

-42.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-16.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.67 ¥6,933

$58.6 ฿1,969

-27.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.61 ¥4,810

$35.36 ฿1,189

-16.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.3 ¥10.6K

$115 ฿3,883

-43.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.4 ¥9,978

$83.7 ฿2,816

-26.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$462 ¥75.1K

$626 ฿21.0K

-26.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 ¥53.5K

$445 ฿15.0K

-26.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 ¥141.0K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-57.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 ¥108.2K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-55.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,816 ¥620.1K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

9.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,816 ¥295.1K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-29.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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 Kumamoto: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $462 in Kumamoto and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Kumamoto vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $289, 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

Kumamoto vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kumamoto and Phuket differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,268 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,902 in Kumamoto and $1,875 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $462 in Kumamoto versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 371% less than in Kumamoto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $409 in Kumamoto versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,268 in Kumamoto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kumamoto. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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, Kumamoto 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 1% less than in Kumamoto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.