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 $1,214 in Kashiwa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,089 per month in Phuket vs $1,842 in Kashiwa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Phuket vs $2,470 in Kashiwa, rent included.

Phuket costs about 4% more than Kashiwa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Phuket and Kashiwa are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Kashiwa 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$6.18 ¥949

-24.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$25.29 ¥3,884

27.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.15 ¥791

68.54%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.37 ¥518

-13.95%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.69 ¥105

21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.73 ¥112

-32.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.43 ¥373

2.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.21 ¥493

16.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.27 ¥195

48.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.08 ¥166

30.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$3.70 ¥568

-56.22%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.91 ¥293

17.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$6.09 ¥934

225.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.16 ¥946

-43.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$9.38 ¥1,440

21.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$5.48 ¥841

-47.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.78 ¥428

-38.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.81 ¥432

-19.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$4.03 ¥620

-47.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.51 ¥385

-41.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$2.60 ¥400

-45.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.64 ¥98.9

71.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.61 ¥92.9

-1.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.72 ¥571

15.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$6.36 ¥977

192.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.77 ¥272

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.87 ¥287

58.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.48 ¥228

52.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$55.4 ¥8,503

-57.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$3.20 ¥492

-3.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.57 ¥242

-31.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$20.15 ¥3,094

-80.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.01 ¥155

41.58%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$21.2K ¥3.3M

31.13%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$18.2K ¥2.8M

48.39%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$126 ¥19.3K

-16.49%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$24.23 ¥3,720

-52.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$31.62 ¥4,855

-44.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$50.1 ¥7,686

8.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$12.50 ¥1,919

-37.76%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$621 ¥95.3K

-7.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$14.6K ¥2.2M

-20.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$61.3 ¥9,406

3.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$32.31 ¥4,961

-9.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$61.2 ¥9,403

57.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$102 ¥15.6K

-11.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$515 ¥79.0K

42.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$392 ¥60.2K

27.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,063 ¥163.2K

99.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$741 ¥113.8K

69.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$4,287 ¥658.3K

-17.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,925 ¥295.6K

36.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$2,626 ¥403.3K

-80.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.12

162.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Kashiwa: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $733 in Phuket versus $515 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 417% higher in Kashiwa, 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $25.00 in Kashiwa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $247 – 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, $1,214 in Kashiwa – roughly 4% 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 $1,821 in Kashiwa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kashiwa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $576 per month in Phuket and $621 in Kashiwa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kashiwa, where all-in costs run around $1,214, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Kashiwa 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 $1,214 in Kashiwa 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 Kashiwa. 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.