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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $1,196 in Kanazawa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,871 in Kanazawa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $2,547 in Kanazawa, rent included.

Phuket costs about 6% more than Kanazawa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$5.69 ¥910

-17.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$35.23 ¥5,634

28.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.82 ¥772

74.90%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.32 ¥532

-11.75%

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

$0.72 ¥115

-48.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.80 ¥447

-13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.40 ¥705

-15.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.61 ¥257

38.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.50 ¥239

22.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$4.69 ¥749

-53.73%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.44 ¥390

-9.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.62 ¥1,699

85.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.33 ¥1,012

-42.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$19.04 ¥3,045

-28.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.64 ¥582

-9.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.19 ¥351

-26.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.58 ¥412

-6.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.45 ¥711

-53.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.66 ¥265

-7.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.24 ¥198

19.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.39 ¥222

-28.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.89 ¥142

-42.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.84 ¥614

14.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$9.13 ¥1,461

112.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.07 ¥331

-14.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$3.00 ¥480

-9.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.61 ¥258

-14.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$54.8 ¥8,767

-79.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$4.54 ¥725

-33.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$3.36 ¥537

-70.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$23.66 ¥3,785

-40.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.18 ¥188

15.25%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

20.17%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.0K ¥2.7M

94.02%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$130 ¥20.8K

-6.59%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$27.51 ¥4,400

-50.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$30.22 ¥4,833

-39.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$48.01 ¥7,680

25.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.76 ¥2,201

24.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$12.65 ¥2,023

-31.30%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$70.4 ¥11.3K

884.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$10.4K ¥1.7M

51.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$43.98 ¥7,034

35.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$29.19 ¥4,669

19.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$66.6 ¥10.7K

71.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$94.4 ¥15.1K

-11.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$476 ¥76.1K

28.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$332 ¥53.1K

31.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$867 ¥138.6K

141.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$658 ¥105.2K

129.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,365 ¥698.2K

-14.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,655 ¥424.7K

-1.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,846 ¥295.2K

-72.47%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kanazawa: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $476 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 263% 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 $45.00 in Phuket versus $35.00 in Kanazawa. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Phuket vs $302 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: $1,265 in Phuket, $1,196 in Kanazawa – roughly 6% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,794 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 $1,265 in Phuket and $1,196 in Kanazawa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 381% 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 $1,196, than in Phuket at $1,265. 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 $1,196 in Kanazawa to $1,265 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.