Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hiroshima Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hiroshima

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $1,033 in Hiroshima, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,639 in Hiroshima, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $2,244 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Phuket costs about 22% more than Hiroshima, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Phuket and Hiroshima are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Hiroshima 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$6.10 ¥976

-22.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$34.44 ¥5,508

31.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.76 ¥762

77.10%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.98 ¥477

-1.68%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.11 ¥177

-37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.75 ¥120

-50.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.78 ¥445

-13.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.21 ¥673

-11.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.51 ¥242

47.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.42 ¥227

28.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$4.65 ¥745

-53.33%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.18 ¥349

1.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$5.57 ¥890

254.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.38 ¥1,021

-43.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$12.10 ¥1,935

11.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.55 ¥568

-7.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.16 ¥346

-25.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$4.18 ¥669

-42.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.24 ¥679

-50.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.65 ¥264

-7.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$3.97 ¥635

-62.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.34 ¥214

-26.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.82 ¥132

-37.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.84 ¥614

14.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$7.66 ¥1,225

153.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.03 ¥325

-12.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.60 ¥417

4.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$2.12 ¥339

-35.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$24.20 ¥3,871

-52.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$4.60 ¥736

-34.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.28 ¥205

-22.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$23.22 ¥3,714

-39.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.19 ¥191

14.29%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.3K ¥3.7M

20.91%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.1K ¥2.7M

92.95%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$132 ¥21.2K

-7.98%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$26.82 ¥4,290

-49.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$30.18 ¥4,828

-39.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$55.2 ¥8,821

9.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$5.61 ¥898

205.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$12.29 ¥1,966

-29.29%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$175 ¥28.0K

295.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$3,684 ¥589.3K

325.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$30.65 ¥4,902

94.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$27.85 ¥4,454

24.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$52.4 ¥8,387

118.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$67.9 ¥10.9K

22.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$352 ¥56.3K

74.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$243 ¥38.9K

79.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$768 ¥122.8K

172.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$541 ¥86.5K

179.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,959 ¥313.4K

91.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,643 ¥262.7K

59.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,415 ¥386.3K

-78.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.81

194.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Hiroshima: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $352 in Hiroshima. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 375% higher in Hiroshima, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket versus $34.00 in Hiroshima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $269 – making Hiroshima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Hiroshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 22% more than Hiroshima, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,550 in Hiroshima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,265 in Phuket and $1,033 in Hiroshima. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 112% less in Hiroshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hiroshima, where all-in costs run around $1,033, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Hiroshima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hiroshima costs $1,033 versus $1,265 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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