Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kamiyama

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Kamiyama: $1,208 and $1,235 a month, rent and utilities included.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Kamiyama
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,235
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kamiyama

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 Kamiyama actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $1,235 in Kamiyama, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Kamiyama $1,235

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $1,928 in Kamiyama, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Kamiyama $1,928

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $2,621 in Kamiyama, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Kamiyama $2,621

Phuket is about 2% cheaper than Kamiyama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Kamiyama are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Kamiyama 9% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Kamiyama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿147
$6.73 ¥1,063
-34.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,078
$34.01 ¥5,372
-5.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿293
$5.49 ¥868
59.56%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿94.5
$3.09 ¥487
-8.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.14
$1.14 ¥180
-21.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.56
$0.76 ¥120
-38.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿85.2
$2.13 ¥336
19.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$3.21 ¥507
19.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Kamiyama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$1.52 ¥241
13.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.11
$1.58 ¥250
-6.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$4.89 ¥772
-69.12%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$2.29 ¥362
-5.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿658
$10.03 ¥1,584
96.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿112
$6.43 ¥1,016
-48.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿373
$15.27 ¥2,412
-26.92%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿95.1
$5.46 ¥863
-47.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿56.9
$2.65 ¥419
-35.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.3
$3.95 ¥624
-44.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.4
$4.61 ¥728
-55.53%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿48.57
$3.21 ¥507
-54.83%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.16
$2.56 ¥404
-46.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.69
$1.33 ¥210
-19.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.91
$0.83 ¥132
-38.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$4.27 ¥674
-0.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿621
$6.40 ¥1,011
190.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿59.7
$1.90 ¥300
-6.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.2
$2.39 ¥377
19.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Kamiyama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿75.6
$1.59 ¥252
42.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿738
$56.1 ¥8,865
-60.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿101
$3.45 ¥545
-12.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.34
$3.01 ¥475
-64.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿129
$20.71 ¥3,271
-81.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.45
$1.19 ¥189
21.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.9K
$23.1K ¥3.6M
13.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿900.4K
$17.0K ¥2.7M
58.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Kamiyama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,221
$139 ¥21.9K
-30.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿369
$27.16 ¥4,291
-59.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿573
$33.67 ¥5,319
-49.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Kamiyama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,744
$57.2 ¥9,033
-8.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿373
$14.14 ¥2,234
-21.07%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿261
$13.05 ¥2,061
-40.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Kamiyama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.6K
$282 ¥44.6K
96.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿387.0K
$13.1K ¥2.1M
-11.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Kamiyama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,146
$43.36 ¥6,850
48.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿959
$29.72 ¥4,695
-3.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,187
$60.5 ¥9,557
57.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,940
$90.7 ¥14.3K
-2.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Kamiyama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
$463 ¥73.2K
59.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.5K
$332 ¥52.4K
39.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.0K
$879 ¥138.8K
138.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.1K
$670 ¥105.9K
79.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿116.6K
$2,777 ¥438.8K
25.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿84.3K
$1,786 ¥282.2K
41.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Kamiyama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
1.81
207.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kamiyama: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Kamiyama
$332 28.3% $131
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Kamiyama
$307 14.3% $38
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Kamiyama
$199 60% $75
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Kamiyama
$101 18.8% $23
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Kamiyama
$132 8.9% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Kamiyama
$83 22.8% $15
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Kamiyama
$81 105% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $463 in Kamiyama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $34.00 in Kamiyama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $307 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇯🇵 Kamiyama
🕒 Local time
11:13 11:13 AM
13:13 1:13 PM
2 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
5,300
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Kamiyama 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Kamiyama

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 Kamiyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kamiyama cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Kamiyama is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $1,853 in Kamiyama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Kamiyama?
Groceries cost about 14% more in Kamiyama, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Kamiyama?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $34.00 in Kamiyama. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Kamiyama?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Kamiyama at $1,235. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kamiyama it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Kamiyama more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Kamiyama?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kamiyama makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?