Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hiroshima

For one person, living is cheaper in Hiroshima: $961 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Hiroshima
Learn more

Hiroshima Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Hiroshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$961

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Hiroshima

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Hiroshima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $961 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Hiroshima $961

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $1,557 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Hiroshima $1,557

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $2,152 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Hiroshima $2,152

Phuket costs about 26% more than Hiroshima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Phuket and Hiroshima are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Hiroshima 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$6.13 ¥969

-28.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$31.92 ¥5,043

1.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.07 ¥801

72.78%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.72 ¥429

4.04%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.96 ¥152

-6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.69 ¥109

-31.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.74 ¥433

-6.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.68 ¥582

4.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.49 ¥236

16.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.52 ¥240

-3.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$4.74 ¥748

-68.14%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.07 ¥327

4.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$5.11 ¥808

285.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$6.18 ¥976

-45.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$10.90 ¥1,722

2.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$3.31 ¥522

-13.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.98 ¥313

-14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$3.77 ¥595

-41.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$3.72 ¥588

-44.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.51 ¥238

-3.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$3.45 ¥545

-60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.35 ¥214

-20.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.83 ¥130

-38.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.00 ¥631

6.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$7.70 ¥1,217

141.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.92 ¥303

-7.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.48 ¥392

14.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.84 ¥290

22.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$32.79 ¥5,181

-32.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$3.68 ¥581

-18.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.22 ¥192

-13.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$21.43 ¥3,386

-81.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.10 ¥174

31.82%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$21.8K ¥3.4M

20.69%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

82.64%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$139 ¥21.9K

-30.62%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$24.17 ¥3,818

-54.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$30.93 ¥4,887

-44.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$52.6 ¥8,315

-0.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$4.65 ¥734

140.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$12.72 ¥2,009

-38.60%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$155 ¥24.5K

258.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$3,400 ¥537.2K

240.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$28.67 ¥4,529

123.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$24.54 ¥3,877

16.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$47.85 ¥7,560

99.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$64.0 ¥10.1K

37.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$241 ¥38.1K

205.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$186 ¥29.3K

149.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$618 ¥97.7K

238.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$508 ¥80.2K

136.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$3,058 ¥483.1K

14.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,406 ¥222.2K

79.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$1,973 ¥311.8K

-74.63%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hiroshima: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Hiroshima

$186 19.3% 59.8% $277

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Hiroshima

$255 26.5% 5.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Hiroshima

$194 20.2% 55.8% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Hiroshima

$74 7.7% 40.3% $50

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Hiroshima

$125 13% 2.7% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Hiroshima

$78 8.1% 15.1% $10

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Hiroshima

$50 5.2% 26.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $241 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 294% 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $32.00 in Hiroshima. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Phuket vs $255 in Hiroshima – so Hiroshima wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇯🇵 Hiroshima

🕒 Local time

10:50 10:50 AM

12:50 12:50 PM

2 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,200,754

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Phuket Hiroshima 4,560 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 26% more than Hiroshima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $1,442 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 $1,208 in Phuket and $961 in Hiroshima. That's a gap of about 26%.

Public transport costs about 48% 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 $961, than in Phuket at $1,208. 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 $961 versus $1,208 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.