Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kagoshima Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kagoshima

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $1,176 in Kagoshima, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,894 in Kagoshima, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $2,613 in Kagoshima, rent included.

Phuket costs about 8% more than Kagoshima, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Phuket and Kagoshima are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kagoshima 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$8.48 ¥1,357

-44.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$41.63 ¥6,659

8.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.78 ¥924

45.85%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.07 ¥491

-4.56%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.09 ¥174

-36.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.82 ¥131

-54.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.64 ¥262

46.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.02 ¥324

84.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.39 ¥222

60.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.30 ¥208

40.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$4.20 ¥672

-48.33%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.38 ¥381

-7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.13 ¥1,621

94.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.19 ¥990

-41.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$21.06 ¥3,369

-35.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.06 ¥489

7.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.40 ¥224

15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.35 ¥216

78.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$5.96 ¥953

-65.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.32 ¥372

-34.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.09 ¥335

-29.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.99 ¥159

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.80 ¥129

-36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.79 ¥607

16.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$6.03 ¥965

221.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.30 ¥208

36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.13 ¥341

27.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.50 ¥239

-8.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$54.4 ¥8,695

-79.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$4.58 ¥732

-34.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$3.00 ¥479

-67.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$12.39 ¥1,982

13.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.23 ¥197

10.57%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.2K ¥3.7M

21.56%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.3K ¥3.2M

62.37%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$210 ¥33.6K

-42.07%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$26.92 ¥4,306

-49.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$35.46 ¥5,671

-48.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$54.8 ¥8,758

9.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.60 ¥2,175

26.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$14.12 ¥2,258

-38.46%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$412 ¥65.9K

68.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$13.3K ¥2.1M

18.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$44.04 ¥7,044

35.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$29.74 ¥4,757

16.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$65.4 ¥10.5K

75.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$60.1 ¥9,606

38.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$477 ¥76.2K

28.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$238 ¥38.0K

83.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$868 ¥138.9K

141.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$646 ¥103.4K

133.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$5,140 ¥822.2K

-27.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,510 ¥401.5K

4.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,852 ¥296.2K

-72.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.67

219.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kagoshima: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $477 in Kagoshima. 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 264% higher in Kagoshima, 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 $42.00 in Kagoshima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $284 – making Kagoshima 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 Kagoshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 8% more than Kagoshima, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. 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 $1,763 in Kagoshima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 377% less in Kagoshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $693 per month in Phuket and $412 in Kagoshima. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kagoshima, where all-in costs run around $1,176, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Kagoshima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kagoshima costs $1,176 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 Kagoshima. 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.