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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,253 per month in Phuket vs $919 in Hiroshima, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,043 per month in Phuket vs $1,482 in Hiroshima, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,833 per month in Phuket vs $2,046 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Phuket costs about 36% more than Hiroshima, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Phuket and Hiroshima are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 9% lower, Hiroshima 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$6.05 ¥945

-24.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$31.23 ¥4,879

4.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$4.89 ¥764

82.00%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.72 ¥426

2.94%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.02 ¥160

-13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.67 ¥105

-26.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.64 ¥413

-9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.65 ¥570

1.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.50 ¥235

19.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.56 ¥243

-7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$4.68 ¥731

-66.24%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.09 ¥326

1.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$4.93 ¥770

304.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$5.96 ¥931

-42.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$11.07 ¥1,730

2.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$3.39 ¥529

-12.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.90 ¥297

-9.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$3.74 ¥584

-37.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$3.73 ¥582

-44.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$1.50 ¥234

-2.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$3.44 ¥537

-60.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.28 ¥200

-14.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.77 ¥121

-25.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.83 ¥599

11.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$7.63 ¥1,192

141.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.85 ¥289

1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.46 ¥384

18.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$1.91 ¥298

16.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$3.72 ¥581

-18.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$1.23 ¥192

-13.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$20.94 ¥3,271

-81.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.04 ¥163

43.27%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$21.3K ¥3.3M

27.07%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

81.02%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$137 ¥21.4K

-24.86%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$23.88 ¥3,730

-53.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$30.26 ¥4,727

-42.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$53.6 ¥8,368

-0.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$4.80 ¥749

133.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$11.97 ¥1,870

-37.51%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$158 ¥24.6K

253.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$3,422 ¥534.6K

246.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$28.18 ¥4,403

127.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$24.90 ¥3,891

16.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$47.12 ¥7,362

103.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$61.8 ¥9,654

46.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$238 ¥37.2K

206.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$185 ¥28.9K

170.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$635 ¥99.2K

229.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$503 ¥78.6K

140.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,883 ¥294.1K

91.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,889 ¥295.1K

33.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$1,956 ¥305.6K

-74.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.21

152.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Hiroshima: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $730 in Phuket versus $238 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 289% 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 $33.00 in Phuket versus $31.00 in Hiroshima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $253 – 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 36% 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 $1,880 per month in Phuket and $1,378 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Phuket and $31.00 in Hiroshima. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hiroshima, where all-in costs run around $919, than in Phuket at $1,253. 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 $919 versus $1,253 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.