Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kashiwa

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Kashiwa: $1,278 and $1,241 a month, rent and utilities included.

Phuket, Thailand
Kashiwa, Japan
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Kashiwa
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,241
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kashiwa

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,241 in Kashiwa, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Kashiwa $1,241

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,861 in Kashiwa, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Kashiwa $1,861

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,481 in Kashiwa, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Kashiwa $2,481

Phuket costs about 3% more than Kashiwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Kashiwa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$6.27 ¥990
-28.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$25.74 ¥4,064
25.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$5.23 ¥826
68.45%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$3.46 ¥547
-18.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$0.70 ¥110
24.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$0.79 ¥125
-37.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$2.56 ¥404
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$3.11 ¥492
18.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Kashiwa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.29 ¥203
28.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$1.10 ¥173
32.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$3.61 ¥570
-58.45%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.96 ¥309
6.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$6.46 ¥1,020
195.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$6.05 ¥956
-45.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$9.59 ¥1,515
13.76%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$5.55 ¥877
-47.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$2.73 ¥432
-38.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.97 ¥469
-24.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$4.24 ¥670
-50.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$2.67 ¥421
-43.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$2.55 ¥403
-45.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$0.60 ¥95.4
78.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.66 ¥104
-21.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$3.92 ¥620
7.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$6.43 ¥1,015
192.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.82 ¥287
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$1.86 ¥293
52.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Kashiwa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$1.51 ¥238
-3.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
$57.3 ¥9,051
-1.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$3.11 ¥492
-2.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$1.55 ¥245
-34.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$20.28 ¥3,201
-81.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$1.02 ¥161
44.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$21.5K ¥3.4M
24.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$15.8K ¥2.5M
68.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Kashiwa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$124 ¥19.7K
-22.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$24.64 ¥3,890
-54.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$32.79 ¥5,176
-48.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Kashiwa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$56.3 ¥8,890
19.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$12.78 ¥2,017
-41.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Kashiwa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$815 ¥128.6K
-41.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$14.6K ¥2.3M
-22.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Kashiwa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$62.0 ¥9,785
0.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$36.55 ¥5,771
-22.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$62.0 ¥9,791
52.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$101 ¥15.9K
-14.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Kashiwa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$526 ¥83.0K
36.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$402 ¥63.5K
22.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$1,000 ¥157.9K
92.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$716 ¥113.0K
99.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$4,322 ¥682.3K
-3.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$2,597 ¥410.1K
17.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Kashiwa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$2,664 ¥420.7K
-81.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
2.64
110.98%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kashiwa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Kashiwa
$402 18.1% $89
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Kashiwa
$251 5.8% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Kashiwa
$182 46.1% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Kashiwa
$118 3.5% $4.3
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Kashiwa
$132 8.8% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Kashiwa
$82 0.4% $0.4
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Kashiwa
$74 5.2% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $526 in Kashiwa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kashiwa are about 5.3 times higher, 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 $32 in Phuket versus $26 in Kashiwa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $251 – making Kashiwa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇯🇵 Kashiwa
🕒 Local time
01:41 1:41 AM
03:41 3:41 AM
2 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
417,394
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Kashiwa 5,240 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Kashiwa

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 Kashiwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Kashiwa compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $1,241 in Kashiwa – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Kashiwa?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,862 in Kashiwa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Kashiwa?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kashiwa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $526 there versus $716 in Phuket.
Which city is more expensive overall: Phuket or Kashiwa?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,241 in Kashiwa. That’s a gap of about 3%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Phuket and Kashiwa?
Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $815 in Kashiwa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $2,000 go in Phuket compared to Kashiwa?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,278 in Phuket and $1,241 in Kashiwa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should digital nomads live: Phuket or Kashiwa?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kashiwa costs $1,241 versus $1,278 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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