Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matsudo and Phuket

For one person, living costs are similar in Matsudo and in Phuket: $1,200 and $1,207 a month, rent and utilities included.

Matsudo
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,200
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Matsudo and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Matsudo and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,200 in Matsudo versus $1,207 in Phuket.

  • Matsudo $1,200
  • Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,896 in Matsudo versus $2,037 in Phuket.

  • Matsudo $1,896
  • Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,593 in Matsudo versus $2,867 in Phuket.

  • Matsudo $2,593
  • Phuket $2,867

Living in Matsudo costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Matsudo 11% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Matsudo
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.47 ¥1,023
$4.58 ฿153
41.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.31 ¥5,895
$32.48 ฿1,086
14.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.02 ¥793
$8.55 ฿286
-41.29%
Cappuccino
$3.43 ¥542
$2.72 ฿91.0
26.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 ¥174
$0.94 ฿31.25
17.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 ¥124
$0.49 ฿16.39
59.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.45 ¥387
$2.59 ฿86.6
-5.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 ¥501
$3.83 ฿128
-17.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Matsudo
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 ¥227
$1.74 ฿58.1
-17.24%
White Bread (500g)
$1.65 ¥260
$1.43 ฿47.82
15.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.59 ¥567
$1.53 ฿51.0
134.64%
Eggs
$2.09 ¥330
$2.17 ฿72.7
-3.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.21 ¥1,613
$19.15 ฿640
-46.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.06 ¥957
$3.30 ฿110
83.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.09 ¥2,226
$11.14 ฿372
26.48%
Apples (1kg)
$4.81 ¥759
$2.95 ฿98.5
63.05%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 ¥361
$1.68 ฿56.1
36.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.94 ¥464
$2.30 ฿76.8
27.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.21 ¥666
$2.13 ฿71.3
97.65%
Potato (1kg)
$2.64 ¥417
$1.53 ฿51.1
72.55%
Onion (1kg)
$2.67 ¥421
$1.36 ฿45.55
96.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 ¥181
$1.12 ฿37.44
2.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 ¥120
$0.55 ฿18.24
38.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.79 ¥599
$4.26 ฿142
-11.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.21 ¥981
$18.19 ฿608
-65.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 ¥258
$1.74 ฿58.2
-6.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 ¥318
$2.79 ฿93.3
-27.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Matsudo
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 ¥241
$2.22 ฿74.1
-31.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.9 ¥8,521
$22.06 ฿737
144.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.17 ¥501
$2.91 ฿97.3
8.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.74 ¥433
$1.01 ฿33.79
171.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.67 ¥2,950
$3.83 ฿128
387.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 ¥164
$1.49 ฿49.85
-30.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K ¥3.4M
$26.7K ฿891.6K
-19.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.7K ¥2.5M
$26.7K ฿892.7K
-41.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Matsudo
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$130 ¥20.5K
$99.4 ฿3,321
30.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.89 ¥3,458
$11.28 ฿377
94.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.21 ¥4,772
$17.36 ฿580
74.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Matsudo
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.9 ¥8,832
$52.3 ฿1,747
6.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.85 ฿362
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.39 ¥1,957
$7.57 ฿253
63.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Matsudo
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$628 ¥99.3K
$558 ฿18.7K
12.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ¥2.3M
$11.5K ฿383.9K
29.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Matsudo
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.9 ¥8,670
$62.9 ฿2,102
-12.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.28 ¥5,257
$28.58 ฿955
16.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.5 ¥9,718
$96.1 ฿3,213
-36.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.8 ¥11.3K
$88.1 ฿2,943
-18.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Matsudo
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$456 ¥72.1K
$729 ฿24.4K
-37.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$348 ¥54.9K
$460 ฿15.4K
-24.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,160 ¥183.3K
$2,096 ฿70.0K
-44.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$738 ¥116.6K
$1,222 ฿40.8K
-39.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,559 ¥720.3K
$3,459 ฿115.6K
31.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,840 ¥290.7K
$2,489 ฿83.2K
-26.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Matsudo
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$493 ฿16.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.25
5.57
-59.61%

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

Last update for Matsudo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Matsudo
$348
Phuket
$460 32.3% $112
Groceries & Markets
Matsudo
$279
Phuket
$268 4.1% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Matsudo
$182
Phuket
$128 29.7% $54
Eating Out
Matsudo
$134
Phuket
$121 9.6% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Matsudo
$100
Phuket
$124 24.5% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Matsudo
$81
Phuket
$67 16.4% $13
Getting Around
Matsudo
$77
Phuket
$39 49.4% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $456 in Matsudo and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Matsudo vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Matsudo
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
23:04 11:04 PM
21:04 9:04 PM
2 h behind Matsudo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
485,803
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Matsudo Phuket 5,230 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Matsudo
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Matsudo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Matsudo?
Matsudo is cheaper overall, especially in clothing. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,800 in Matsudo and $1,811 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.
What is the rent difference between Matsudo and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $456 in Matsudo versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Matsudo runs roughly 144% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $628 in Matsudo versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Matsudo or in Phuket?
At $1,200 in Matsudo versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Matsudo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Matsudo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Matsudo or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Matsudo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Matsudo or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Matsudo 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Matsudo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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