Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hamamatsu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hamamatsu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,103 in Hamamatsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,819 in Hamamatsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,536 in Hamamatsu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 15% more expensive than in Hamamatsu, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Hamamatsu 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.92 ¥775

-8.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$41.90 ¥6,603

8.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.39 ¥534

158.41%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.03 ¥477

-1.98%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.66 ¥104

4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.77 ¥121

-49.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.05 ¥324

23.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.85 ¥449

31.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.47 ¥232

46.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.70 ¥267

7.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$5.01 ¥790

-56.49%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.83 ¥288

22.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$10.11 ¥1,592

97.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.19 ¥975

-41.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$15.69 ¥2,472

-13.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$4.06 ¥640

-20.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.11 ¥332

-22.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$3.39 ¥534

-31.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$4.13 ¥650

-49.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$3.39 ¥535

-54.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$4.36 ¥687

-66.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.39 ¥219

-29.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.88 ¥139

-45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.45 ¥544

26.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.92 ¥1,406

108.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.74 ¥274

6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.07 ¥325

28.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.06 ¥166

33.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$56.2 ¥8,851

-79.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.52 ¥555

-9.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.96 ¥467

-65.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$21.75 ¥3,427

-36.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.20 ¥188

11.67%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$21.0K ¥3.3M

32.05%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$14.1K ¥2.2M

136.90%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$109 ¥17.2K

12.88%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$9.66 ¥1,522

42.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$20.96 ¥3,303

-12.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$103 ¥16.3K

-41.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$18.56 ¥2,925

-7.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$13.56 ¥2,137

-34.59%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$279 ¥43.9K

146.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$13.8K ¥2.2M

14.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$41.66 ¥6,564

42.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$27.43 ¥4,322

26.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$55.1 ¥8,688

108.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$104 ¥16.3K

-19.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$384 ¥60.5K

61.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$247 ¥39.0K

80.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$869 ¥136.9K

134.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$597 ¥94.1K

150.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$4,252 ¥670.1K

-18.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,051 ¥323.1K

23.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

0.95

461.05%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Hamamatsu: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $384 in Hamamatsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Hamamatsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $300, 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

Phuket vs Hamamatsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Hamamatsu differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $1,103 including rent). Hamamatsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,654 in Hamamatsu 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: $621 in Phuket versus $384 in Hamamatsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamamatsu – 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 $1,103 in Hamamatsu versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hamamatsu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Hamamatsu 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, Phuket and Hamamatsu 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 Hamamatsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.