Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kanazawa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kanazawa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $1,221 in Kanazawa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $1,904 in Kanazawa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $2,587 in Kanazawa, rent included.

Phuket costs about 2% more than Kanazawa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Phuket and Kanazawa are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kanazawa 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.66 ¥920

-19.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$34.17 ¥5,551

35.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.91 ¥799

80.04%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.24 ¥526

-5.56%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.13 ¥184

-35.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.71 ¥116

-43.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.82 ¥458

-13.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.38 ¥712

-13.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.53 ¥249

47.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.48 ¥241

22.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.65 ¥755

-51.61%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.44 ¥397

-7.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.48 ¥1,703

86.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.45 ¥1,048

-43.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$19.08 ¥3,101

-31.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.65 ¥593

-11.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.21 ¥359

-26.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.47 ¥401

-3.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$4.46 ¥724

-54.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.70 ¥277

-10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.29 ¥210

16.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.34 ¥217

-26.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.82 ¥133

-36.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.96 ¥644

12.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.50 ¥1,543

92.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.13 ¥347

-12.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.89 ¥469

-7.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.67 ¥271

-15.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$55.8 ¥9,073

-79.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$4.58 ¥744

-32.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$3.31 ¥537

-68.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$23.59 ¥3,832

-40.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.18 ¥191

11.02%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

18.61%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$16.7K ¥2.7M

99.03%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$130 ¥21.2K

-5.96%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$27.23 ¥4,424

-50.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$29.98 ¥4,870

-37.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$46.98 ¥7,633

28.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.71 ¥2,227

23.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$12.42 ¥2,018

-26.97%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$69.4 ¥11.3K

918.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$10.3K ¥1.7M

52.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$44.17 ¥7,176

32.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$29.41 ¥4,778

20.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$66.9 ¥10.9K

72.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$97.0 ¥15.8K

-13.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$462 ¥75.0K

35.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$336 ¥54.6K

32.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$866 ¥140.7K

135.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$655 ¥106.4K

127.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$4,777 ¥776.1K

-27.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,341 ¥380.4K

10.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,882 ¥305.8K

-73.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.81

194.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kanazawa: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $462 in Kanazawa. 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 277% higher in Kanazawa, 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 $34.00 in Kanazawa. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Phuket vs $301 in Kanazawa – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Kanazawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,250 in Phuket, $1,221 in Kanazawa – roughly 2% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $1,831 in Kanazawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kanazawa, 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 $1,250 in Phuket and $1,221 in Kanazawa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

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

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kanazawa, where all-in costs run around $1,221, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Kanazawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,221 in Kanazawa to $1,250 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Kanazawa. 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.