Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kawagoe Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kawagoe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,221 in Kawagoe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,977 in Kawagoe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,733 in Kawagoe.

Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than in Kawagoe, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Kawagoe 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$6.63 ¥1,017

-29.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,066

$42.66 ¥6,546

-24.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.12 ¥786

69.53%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.9

$3.50 ¥538

-17.14%

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

$0.84 ฿27.91

$0.93 ¥143

-9.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.17

$0.50 ¥77.4

-2.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.1

$1.93 ¥296

28.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.81 ¥431

32.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.19 ¥183

58.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.58

$1.29 ¥198

9.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$3.79 ¥581

-57.26%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.13 ¥327

5.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$6.34 ¥973

212.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.04 ¥927

-42.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$14.80 ¥2,271

-23.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.9

$5.95 ¥912

-51.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.33 ¥358

-26.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.2

$2.91 ¥446

-21.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.5

$3.23 ¥495

-34.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$2.71 ¥416

-45.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.96

$1.92 ¥295

-26.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.29

$1.27 ¥195

-13.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.78

$0.77 ¥118

-22.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.99 ¥612

8.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$4.89 ¥750

280.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.6

$1.86 ¥285

-3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.1

$2.09 ¥321

42.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.3

$3.09 ¥474

-27.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿777

$162 ¥24.8K

-85.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿103

$3.31 ¥508

-6.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.59

$2.56 ¥393

-57.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$21.09 ¥3,236

-81.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.20

$1.11 ¥170

28.83%

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

$27.8K ฿918.9K

$16.1K ¥2.5M

72.73%

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

$27.0K ฿892.4K

$13.1K ¥2.0M

105.70%

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

$105 ฿3,466

$137 ¥21.0K

-23.45%

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

$11.39 ฿377

$22.78 ¥3,496

-50.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$33.01 ¥5,064

-46.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,797

$44.88 ¥6,887

21.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$32.59 ¥5,000

-64.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$11.43 ¥1,754

-31.93%

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

$576 ฿19.1K

$325 ¥49.9K

77.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿383.0K

$6,361 ¥975.9K

82.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,104

$32.02 ¥4,913

98.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿962

$33.49 ¥5,139

-13.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,182

$45.80 ¥7,027

110.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,977

$97.2 ¥14.9K

-7.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$419 ¥64.3K

75.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.6K

$281 ¥43.2K

78.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.3K

$874 ¥134.1K

143.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$609 ¥93.4K

105.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.9K

$2,546 ¥390.6K

38.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.7K

$1,288 ¥197.7K

103.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,638 ¥251.3K

-69.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.6

248.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Kawagoe: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $419 in Kawagoe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kawagoe pays 223% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Kawagoe. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $263, with Kawagoe cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kawagoe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Kawagoe differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,221 including rent). Kawagoe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 223% lower in Kawagoe. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $419 in Kawagoe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kawagoe – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $1,221 in Kawagoe – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,221 in Kawagoe versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kawagoe but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kawagoe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kawagoe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kawagoe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.