Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Beppu

For one person, living is cheaper in Beppu: $979 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Beppu
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Beppu Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Beppu

🇯🇵 Japan

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Beppu

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

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $979 in Beppu, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Beppu $979

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $1,443 in Beppu, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Beppu $1,443

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $1,907 in Beppu, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Beppu $1,907

Phuket costs about 23% more than Beppu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Phuket and Beppu are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Beppu 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$6.32 ¥999

-30.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$23.30 ¥3,681

38.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$4.45 ¥703

96.85%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$3.03 ¥479

-6.60%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.01 ¥160

-10.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.77 ¥121

-38.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$3.21 ¥507

-20.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.22 ¥351

72.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.45 ¥229

19.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.60 ¥253

-8.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$4.42 ¥699

-65.84%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.53 ¥242

41.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$8.99 ¥1,421

119.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$5.52 ¥871

-39.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$9.95 ¥1,571

12.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$3.55 ¥561

-19.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.78 ¥281

-4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$2.89 ¥457

-24.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$3.36 ¥531

-38.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$2.12 ¥335

-31.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$2.18 ¥345

-36.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.06 ¥168

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.94 ¥148

-45.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.80 ¥600

12.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$6.42 ¥1,014

189.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.43 ¥225

24.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.74 ¥275

63.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$2.53 ¥400

-10.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$31.33 ¥4,949

-29.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$4.11 ¥650

-26.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$2.30 ¥363

-53.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$17.70 ¥2,797

-78.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.11 ¥175

30.63%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$11.3K ¥1.8M

133.43%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

77.58%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$149 ¥23.6K

-35.45%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$12.72 ¥2,010

-13.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$28.21 ¥4,457

-39.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$44.21 ¥6,985

18.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$3.10 ¥490

260.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$6.33 ¥1,000

23.38%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$188 ¥29.8K

194.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$12.1K ¥1.9M

-4.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$27.92 ¥4,411

129.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$22.03 ¥3,481

30.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$66.0 ¥10.4K

44.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$38.27 ¥6,046

129.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$306 ¥48.3K

141.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$233 ¥36.7K

98.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$573 ¥90.5K

265.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$377 ¥59.6K

218.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$4,209 ¥665.0K

-17.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,559 ¥246.3K

61.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$1,360 ¥214.9K

-63.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.97

182.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Beppu: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Beppu

$233 23.8% 49.7% $230

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Beppu

$245 25% 8.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Beppu

$190 19.4% 52.7% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Beppu

$69 7.1% 44.2% $55

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Beppu

$128 13.1% 5.5% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Beppu

$57 5.8% 16.1% $11

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Beppu

$57 5.8% 44.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $306 in Beppu. 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 172% higher in Beppu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $23.00 in Beppu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $245 – making Beppu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇯🇵 Beppu

🕒 Local time

10:50 10:50 AM

12:50 12:50 PM

2 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

115,321

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Phuket Beppu 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Beppu

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

Phuket vs Beppu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 23% more than Beppu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $1,469 in Beppu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Beppu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,208 in Phuket and $979 in Beppu. That's a gap of about 23%.

Public transport costs about 42% less in Beppu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Beppu, where all-in costs run around $979, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Beppu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Beppu costs $979 versus $1,208 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Beppu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.