Cost of Living Comparison Between Kurume and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kurume and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,022 in Kurume versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,597 in Kurume versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,172 in Kurume versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Kurume costs roughly 18% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kurume 24% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.85 ¥788

$4.55 ฿153

6.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.86 ¥6,802

$46.18 ฿1,553

-9.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.17 ¥678

$8.84 ฿297

-52.83%

Cappuccino

$2.10 ¥342

$3.06 ฿103

-31.37%

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

$0.77 ¥125

$0.73 ฿24.40

5.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥89.4

$0.40 ฿13.39

37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 ¥560

$2.43 ฿81.8

41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥285

$3.78 ฿127

-53.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ¥230

$2.26 ฿76.0

-37.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ¥232

$1.81 ฿60.9

-20.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.13 ¥670

$2.25 ฿75.8

83.56%

Eggs

$2.10 ¥340

$2.25 ฿75.5

-6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 ¥1,665

$19.51 ฿656

-47.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.12 ¥994

$3.65 ฿123

67.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.02 ¥3,416

$13.05 ฿439

61.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 ¥496

$3.23 ฿109

-5.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ¥229

$1.62 ฿54.4

-12.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ¥222

$2.38 ฿80.1

-42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.83 ¥947

$2.03 ฿68.1

187.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 ¥448

$1.53 ฿51.6

80.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 ¥508

$1.50 ฿50.5

108.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ¥159

$0.98 ฿32.91

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥124

$0.52 ฿17.39

46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ¥643

$4.44 ฿149

-10.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.04 ¥982

$18.32 ฿616

-67.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥315

$1.86 ฿62.7

4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 ¥196

$2.68 ฿90.1

-54.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥260

$1.41 ฿47.46

13.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.7 ¥8,892

$11.70 ฿393

367.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 ¥776

$3.11 ฿105

53.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.91 ¥473

$1.04 ฿35.06

179.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.75 ¥3,210

$14.11 ฿474

39.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 ¥115

$1.31 ฿44.10

-46.56%

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

$23.3K ¥3.8M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-16.15%

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

$19.7K ¥3.2M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-40.63%

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

$215 ¥34.9K

$122 ฿4,118

75.61%

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

$27.50 ¥4,468

$13.59 ฿457

102.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.68 ¥4,010

$18.70 ฿629

31.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 ¥8,933

$60.5 ฿2,034

-9.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.64 ¥2,217

$16.98 ฿571

-19.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ¥1,272

$9.07 ฿305

-13.67%

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

$416 ¥67.6K

$706 ฿23.8K

-41.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-16.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.71 ¥6,940

$58.6 ฿1,969

-27.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.93 ¥2,263

$35.36 ฿1,189

-60.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$26.69 ¥4,336

$115 ฿3,883

-76.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.22 ¥5,561

$83.7 ฿2,816

-59.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$211 ¥34.3K

$626 ฿21.0K

-66.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 ¥22.8K

$445 ฿15.0K

-68.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 ¥85.6K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-74.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 ¥55.7K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-77.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,477 ¥727.4K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

28.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,230 ¥362.4K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-13.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,480 ¥240.5K

$500 ฿16.8K

196.10%

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 Kurume: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $211 in Kurume and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 196% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Kurume vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $289 per month, with Kurume 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

Kurume vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kurume and Phuket differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,022 vs $1,250 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 196% higher in Kurume, 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: $211 in Kurume versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurume – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,022 in Kurume versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kurume but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kurume 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, Kurume 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 Kurume gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.