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: $1,269 in Kumamoto versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,963 in Kumamoto versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,658 in Kumamoto versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Monthly costs are close between Kumamoto and Phuket; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.44 ¥1,350

$4.70 ฿154

79.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.17 ¥5,466

$45.37 ฿1,483

-24.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 ¥993

$8.43 ฿276

-26.33%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥493

$2.93 ฿95.7

5.12%

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

$0.66 ¥105

$0.69 ฿22.42

-4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥132

$0.37 ฿12.00

121.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 ¥271

$2.41 ฿78.7

-29.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥342

$3.72 ฿122

-42.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥219

$2.23 ฿73.0

-38.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 ¥253

$1.83 ฿59.9

-13.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 ¥657

$2.17 ฿70.9

89.40%

Eggs

$2.06 ¥329

$2.21 ฿72.4

-6.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 ¥1,604

$19.74 ฿645

-49.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.03 ¥964

$3.63 ฿119

66.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.17 ¥3,386

$13.53 ฿442

56.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 ¥496

$3.28 ฿107

-5.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥228

$1.61 ฿52.7

-11.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 ¥226

$2.41 ฿78.7

-41.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.85 ¥936

$2.08 ฿68.1

181.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 ¥435

$1.53 ฿49.97

77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 ¥515

$1.48 ฿48.41

117.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 ¥155

$0.99 ฿32.32

-2.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥121

$0.51 ฿16.68

49.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.93 ¥629

$4.41 ฿144

-10.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 ¥897

$19.38 ฿634

-71.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥304

$1.78 ฿58.1

6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥337

$2.71 ฿88.7

-22.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 ¥267

$1.37 ฿44.83

21.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ¥9,001

$11.39 ฿372

394.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.72 ¥755

$3.02 ฿98.7

56.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 ¥480

$0.99 ฿32.51

203.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.29 ¥3,085

$14.10 ฿461

36.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥190

$1.36 ฿44.55

-12.50%

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

$23.0K ¥3.7M

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-18.44%

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

$20.1K ¥3.2M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-38.77%

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

$213 ¥34.1K

$122 ฿3,978

75.32%

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

$26.96 ¥4,312

$13.57 ฿444

98.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.73 ¥5,715

$18.31 ฿599

95.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 ¥8,949

$60.2 ฿1,969

-7.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ¥2,246

$17.14 ฿560

-18.09%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 ¥2,184

$8.69 ฿284

57.08%

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

$408 ¥65.2K

$693 ฿22.7K

-41.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-15.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.84 ¥7,013

$59.5 ฿1,946

-26.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.57 ¥4,730

$34.77 ฿1,137

-14.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.9 ¥10.4K

$115 ฿3,746

-43.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.1 ¥9,613

$83.3 ฿2,723

-27.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥74.5K

$613 ฿20.0K

-24.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 ¥52.0K

$437 ฿14.3K

-25.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 ¥138.7K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-58.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 ¥106.2K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-56.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,290 ¥686.2K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

14.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,396 ¥383.2K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-8.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $466 in Kumamoto and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Kumamoto vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $293 per month, with Kumamoto cheaper across the board.

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

You'd need roughly $1,903 in Kumamoto and $1,898 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: $466 in Kumamoto versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $408 in Kumamoto versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,269 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Kumamoto on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.