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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $784 in Hamamatsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,297 in Hamamatsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,810 in Hamamatsu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 57% more expensive than in Hamamatsu, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Hamamatsu 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.91 ¥610

12.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$42.33 ¥6,605

-23.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$5.15 ¥804

73.40%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.46 ¥539

-16.18%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.12 ¥175

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.76 ¥118

-36.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.61 ¥407

-9.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.30 ¥515

12.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.06 ¥165

76.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.73 ¥270

-15.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$3.81 ¥595

-59.32%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.69 ¥263

24.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$12.23 ¥1,908

60.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.19 ¥965

-44.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$14.72 ¥2,296

-22.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.71 ¥892

-47.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.87 ¥449

-41.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.87 ¥448

-23.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.21 ¥657

-48.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.62 ¥408

-41.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.70 ¥422

-50.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.32 ¥206

-14.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.67 ¥105

-17.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.81 ¥595

11.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$6.34 ¥989

201.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.86 ¥290

-4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.05 ¥320

35.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$51.7 ¥8,062

-55.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.25 ¥508

-6.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.57 ¥402

-60.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$20.64 ¥3,221

-81.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.09 ¥170

36.70%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$21.9K ¥3.4M

21.38%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$18.4K ¥2.9M

47.24%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$134 ¥20.9K

-23.51%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$9.28 ¥1,448

22.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$32.89 ¥5,131

-47.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$17.35 ¥2,706

-36.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$13.07 ¥2,040

-41.16%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$652 ¥101.7K

-13.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$15.3K ¥2.4M

-24.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$63.7 ¥9,934

-1.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$32.90 ¥5,133

-10.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$63.8 ¥9,957

53.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$103 ¥16.1K

-14.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$8,047 ¥1.3M

-55.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$5,552 ¥866.2K

-53.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,614 ¥251.8K

-69.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.12

162.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Hamamatsu: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Hamamatsu pays 227% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Hamamatsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $293 per month, with Phuket 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

Phuket vs Hamamatsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Hamamatsu differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $784 including rent). Hamamatsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 227% lower in Hamamatsu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 7% 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 $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $784 in Hamamatsu versus $1,232 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 57% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.