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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $1,188 in Kagoshima, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $1,903 in Kagoshima, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $2,618 in Kagoshima, rent included.

Phuket costs about 5% more than Kagoshima, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Phuket and Kagoshima are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kagoshima 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$8.29 ¥1,347

-45.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$40.85 ¥6,637

13.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.89 ¥956

50.08%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.05 ¥495

0.33%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.08 ¥176

-32.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.80 ¥131

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.63 ¥265

49.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.09 ¥340

80.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.34 ¥217

68.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.26 ¥204

43.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.06 ¥660

-44.58%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.40 ¥389

-6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.90 ¥1,609

97.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.04 ¥982

-39.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$20.85 ¥3,387

-37.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.05 ¥495

5.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.36 ¥220

19.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.41 ¥229

68.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$5.99 ¥973

-66.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.31 ¥375

-33.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.06 ¥334

-27.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.98 ¥160

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.75 ¥122

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.80 ¥618

16.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$5.87 ¥954

212.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.28 ¥207

45.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.10 ¥341

27.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.49 ¥242

-5.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$55.6 ¥9,039

-78.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$4.73 ¥769

-34.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$2.99 ¥486

-65.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$12.43 ¥2,019

13.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.21 ¥197

8.26%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$22.9K ¥3.7M

21.44%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$19.9K ¥3.2M

66.60%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$211 ¥34.3K

-41.97%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$26.94 ¥4,377

-49.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$36.20 ¥5,882

-48.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$56.7 ¥9,208

6.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.74 ¥2,232

23.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$13.61 ¥2,212

-33.36%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$409 ¥66.5K

72.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

19.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$42.51 ¥6,906

37.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$29.17 ¥4,740

21.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$67.0 ¥10.9K

72.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$60.9 ¥9,890

37.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$474 ¥77.1K

31.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$238 ¥38.7K

86.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$852 ¥138.5K

139.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$660 ¥107.3K

126.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$4,841 ¥786.5K

-28.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,213 ¥359.5K

16.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,826 ¥296.7K

-72.63%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kagoshima: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $474 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 265% 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $41.00 in Kagoshima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $279 – 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 5% 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 $1,875 per month in Phuket and $1,781 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 375% less in Kagoshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $706 per month in Phuket and $409 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 $1,188, than in Phuket at $1,250. 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 $1,188 versus $1,250 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.