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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,219 in Hirakata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,909 in Hirakata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,599 in Hirakata.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than Hirakata, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Hirakata 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.09 ¥1,135

-34.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$34.39 ¥5,505

36.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.91 ¥945

49.58%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.07 ¥492

-2.28%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.08 ¥173

-31.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.77 ¥123

-51.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.83 ¥453

-13.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.05 ¥489

18.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.60 ¥256

41.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.50 ¥240

22.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$4.68 ¥750

-52.14%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.33 ¥373

-0.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.51 ¥1,683

87.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.49 ¥1,039

-43.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$15.42 ¥2,469

-15.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.56 ¥571

-4.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.09 ¥335

-21.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.47 ¥395

-2.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.39 ¥703

-53.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.63 ¥261

-4.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.26 ¥201

19.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.31 ¥210

-22.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.82 ¥132

-40.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.39 ¥543

31.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$9.58 ¥1,533

97.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.06 ¥330

-13.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.39 ¥383

15.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.59 ¥254

-11.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$55.0 ¥8,806

-79.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.44 ¥551

-9.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.98 ¥476

-66.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$17.34 ¥2,776

-18.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.23 ¥197

9.76%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$22.9K ¥3.7M

18.91%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.8K ¥2.7M

95.86%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$130 ¥20.9K

-4.08%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$27.61 ¥4,420

-50.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$30.90 ¥4,946

-40.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$55.2 ¥8,833

11.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$13.69 ¥2,191

23.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$12.72 ¥2,036

-27.75%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$68.1 ¥10.9K

926.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$10.4K ¥1.7M

50.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$44.92 ¥7,192

28.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$29.66 ¥4,748

18.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$56.8 ¥9,100

99.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$92.9 ¥14.9K

-7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$477 ¥76.4K

29.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$331 ¥53.0K

34.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$850 ¥136.1K

140.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$658 ¥105.3K

126.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$4,534 ¥725.8K

-16.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,907 ¥305.3K

-72.53%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hirakata: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $477 in Hirakata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hirakata pays 264% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Hirakata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $288 per month, with Hirakata 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 Hirakata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Hirakata differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,219 including rent). Hirakata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Hirakata earns 264% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $477 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 379% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $68.1 in Hirakata. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,219 in Hirakata versus $1,232 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 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.