Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Himeji Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Himeji

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $1,295 in Himeji, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $2,026 in Himeji, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $2,757 in Himeji, rent included.

Phuket is about 2% cheaper than Himeji, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Himeji are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Himeji 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$8.15 ¥1,303

-42.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$34.03 ¥5,443

33.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.35 ¥1,016

32.76%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.11 ¥497

-5.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.15 ¥184

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.69 ¥111

-46.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.35 ¥535

-28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.13 ¥501

18.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.52 ¥242

46.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.81 ¥289

1.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$5.01 ¥802

-56.69%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.47 ¥395

-10.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$17.44 ¥2,790

13.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.50 ¥1,200

-51.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.43 ¥2,467

-12.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$9.03 ¥1,444

-63.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.78 ¥444

-42.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.42 ¥547

-29.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$9.74 ¥1,557

-78.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$3.90 ¥625

-60.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.11 ¥338

-29.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.01 ¥161

-1.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.40 ¥224

-63.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.52 ¥564

25.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$9.44 ¥1,509

105.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.06 ¥330

-13.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.32 ¥371

16.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.66 ¥265

-17.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$56.1 ¥8,979

-79.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.51 ¥561

-13.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$3.02 ¥482

-67.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$17.15 ¥2,742

-17.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.83 ¥132

63.86%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.0K ¥3.7M

22.45%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.0K ¥2.7M

93.31%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$138 ¥22.1K

-11.99%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$27.74 ¥4,437

-51.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$26.52 ¥4,242

-30.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$55.7 ¥8,909

8.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.98 ¥2,236

22.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$8.13 ¥1,300

6.89%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$481 ¥76.9K

44.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$11.4K ¥1.8M

37.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$38.14 ¥6,101

56.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$10.25 ¥1,639

239.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$41.46 ¥6,632

176.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$55.1 ¥8,805

51.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$463 ¥74.0K

32.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$336 ¥53.7K

30.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$882 ¥141.1K

137.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$661 ¥105.8K

128.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,674 ¥747.6K

-19.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,191 ¥350.4K

19.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.78

199.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Himeji: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $463 in Himeji. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket versus $34.00 in Himeji. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Phuket vs $394 in Himeji – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Himeji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Himeji is pricier by about 2%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,942 in Himeji. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 35% more in Himeji, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket and $34.00 in Himeji. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Himeji at $1,295. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Himeji it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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