Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kashiwa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kashiwa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $1,325 in Kashiwa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,836 in Kashiwa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $2,347 in Kashiwa, rent included.

Phuket is about 5% cheaper than Kashiwa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Phuket and Kashiwa are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kashiwa 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$6.99 ¥1,118

-32.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$27.94 ¥4,469

62.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.67 ¥907

48.68%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.09 ¥494

-5.18%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.84 ¥135

-17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.78 ¥124

-52.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.14 ¥342

12.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.72 ¥435

36.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.23 ¥197

81.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.13 ¥181

61.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$5.06 ¥809

-57.11%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.03 ¥325

8.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.04 ¥1,126

180.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.39 ¥1,023

-43.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.32 ¥1,651

31.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$4.97 ¥794

-34.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.83 ¥452

-43.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$4.03 ¥645

-40.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$6.10 ¥975

-65.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.75 ¥439

-44.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.23 ¥357

-33.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.70 ¥112

41.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.57 ¥90.4

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.06 ¥650

8.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$9.38 ¥1,501

106.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.84 ¥295

-3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.03 ¥325

33.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.56 ¥250

-12.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$54.4 ¥8,699

-79.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.37 ¥539

-10.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$2.38 ¥380

-58.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$22.04 ¥3,525

-36.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.19 ¥191

14.29%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.1K ¥3.7M

22.08%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$18.2K ¥2.9M

81.18%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$143 ¥22.9K

-14.98%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$27.74 ¥4,437

-51.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$33.75 ¥5,398

-45.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$55.6 ¥8,893

8.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.14 ¥2,261

21.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$13.57 ¥2,171

-35.96%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$281 ¥45.0K

146.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$13.9K ¥2.2M

12.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$41.98 ¥6,715

41.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$28.95 ¥4,631

20.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$60.6 ¥9,684

89.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$111 ¥17.7K

-24.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$636 ¥101.7K

-3.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$436 ¥69.8K

0.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$838 ¥134.0K

149.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$525 ¥84.0K

187.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,667 ¥746.4K

-19.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,247 ¥359.4K

16.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,486 ¥397.6K

-79.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.05

160.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kashiwa: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $636 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 run about 389% higher in Kashiwa, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket versus $28.00 in Kashiwa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $279 – making Kashiwa 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 Kashiwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,265 in Phuket, $1,325 in Kashiwa – roughly 5% apart. Kashiwa 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 $1,987 in Kashiwa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Kindergarten costs $693 per month in Phuket and $281 in Kashiwa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Kashiwa – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Kashiwa at $1,325. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kashiwa 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 $1,265 in Phuket to $1,325 in Kashiwa. 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 Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kashiwa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.