Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hirakata Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hirakata

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,243 in Phuket versus $1,198 in Hirakata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,023 in Phuket versus $1,903 in Hirakata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,803 in Phuket versus $2,607 in Hirakata.

Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than in Hirakata, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Hirakata 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 ฿147

$8.80 ¥1,390

-50.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.87 ฿1,107

$31.54 ¥4,981

4.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.39 ฿283

$4.97 ¥786

68.81%

Cappuccino

$2.73 ฿92.1

$2.96 ¥468

-7.77%

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

$0.88 ฿29.70

$1.25 ¥198

-29.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.97

$0.78 ¥123

-39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.3

$3.26 ¥515

-27.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿125

$3.91 ¥617

-5.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ฿61.7

$1.46 ¥230

25.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.75

$1.30 ¥205

11.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿53.1

$5.54 ¥876

-71.48%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.7

$2.12 ¥336

-0.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.37 ฿652

$9.76 ¥1,542

98.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿115

$6.85 ¥1,082

-50.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 ฿369

$17.65 ¥2,789

-37.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 ฿101

$3.36 ¥530

-10.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿55.1

$1.95 ¥309

-15.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿74.3

$3.20 ¥505

-30.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.5

$3.95 ¥623

-46.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿49.52

$4.04 ¥639

-63.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ฿44.53

$3.70 ¥585

-64.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿36.06

$1.37 ¥216

-21.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.68

$0.93 ¥147

-44.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿148

$3.99 ¥630

9.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.59 ฿626

$9.36 ¥1,479

98.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ฿58.8

$2.63 ¥416

-33.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 ฿96.2

$3.21 ¥508

-10.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿76.3

$1.50 ¥237

50.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.98 ฿774

$50.5 ¥7,969

-54.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 ฿99.1

$3.13 ¥495

-6.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$3.12 ¥493

-65.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$16.07 ¥2,539

-76.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ฿49.14

$1.11 ¥176

31.53%

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

$27.2K ฿915.5K

$21.6K ¥3.4M

25.62%

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

$26.6K ฿896.7K

$15.6K ¥2.5M

71.12%

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

$102 ฿3,433

$117 ¥18.5K

-12.84%

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

$10.96 ฿369

$23.55 ¥3,721

-53.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.89 ฿569

$31.17 ¥4,924

-45.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.4 ฿1,765

$50.8 ¥8,023

3.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.93 ฿368

$6.41 ¥1,013

70.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 ฿253

$11.45 ¥1,809

-34.32%

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

$547 ฿18.4K

$524 ¥82.8K

4.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.9K

$13.0K ¥2.1M

-13.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 ฿2,129

$48.55 ¥7,669

30.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.23 ฿984

$30.12 ¥4,758

-2.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 ฿3,294

$61.7 ¥9,742

58.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.7 ฿2,919

$89.0 ¥14.1K

-2.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$531 ¥83.8K

35.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 ฿16.0K

$328 ¥51.9K

44.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,081 ฿70.1K

$1,063 ¥168.0K

95.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 ฿40.2K

$738 ¥116.6K

61.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,577 ฿120.4K

$3,851 ¥608.3K

-7.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,541 ฿85.6K

$1,695 ¥267.7K

49.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$489 ฿16.5K

$1,884 ¥297.6K

-74.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.66

235.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 28, 2026

Last update for Hirakata: September 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $531 in Hirakata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hirakata pays 285% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Hirakata. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $310, 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 Hirakata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Hirakata differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,243 vs $1,198 including rent). Hirakata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 285% lower in Hirakata. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $531 in Hirakata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hirakata runs roughly 120% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $547 in Phuket versus $524 in Hirakata. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,198 in Hirakata versus $1,243 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hirakata but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Hirakata 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 Hirakata 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 Hirakata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.