Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kitakyushu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kitakyushu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $1,278 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,974 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $2,669 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Phuket is about 1% cheaper than Kitakyushu, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Phuket and Kitakyushu are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Kitakyushu 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$7.34 ¥1,157

-38.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$41.29 ¥6,506

10.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.94 ¥779

77.33%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.20 ¥504

-7.19%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.09 ¥172

-36.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.75 ¥118

-48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.63 ¥414

-3.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.05 ¥480

22.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.55 ¥244

38.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.64 ¥259

10.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$4.29 ¥676

-49.18%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.55 ¥401

-11.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$10.23 ¥1,612

95.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.28 ¥989

-42.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$20.94 ¥3,300

-35.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.21 ¥506

0.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.36 ¥214

20.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.41 ¥223

65.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$3.29 ¥519

-37.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.71 ¥427

-42.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$3.17 ¥499

-53.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.92 ¥145

6.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.75 ¥119

-36.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.84 ¥605

13.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$6.21 ¥979

199.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.95 ¥307

-4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.10 ¥331

26.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.65 ¥259

-13.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$55.3 ¥8,718

-79.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$4.55 ¥717

-30.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.92 ¥460

-64.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$19.38 ¥3,054

-28.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.23 ¥193

8.94%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

21.97%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.0K ¥3.2M

66.54%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$216 ¥34.0K

-42.97%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$27.59 ¥4,348

-50.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$35.33 ¥5,566

-48.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$56.0 ¥8,829

8.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$13.63 ¥2,148

25.90%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$13.98 ¥2,203

-36.55%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$408 ¥64.2K

68.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$13.5K ¥2.1M

16.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$42.79 ¥6,742

38.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$29.20 ¥4,600

18.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$65.2 ¥10.3K

76.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$60.5 ¥9,524

38.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$467 ¥73.6K

33.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$334 ¥52.7K

33.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$867 ¥136.6K

134.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$663 ¥104.5K

125.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$4,260 ¥671.3K

-18.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,070 ¥326.1K

22.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,463 ¥230.5K

-66.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.67

219.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kitakyushu: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $467 in Kitakyushu. 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 196% higher in Kitakyushu, 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $41.00 in Kitakyushu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $284 – making Kitakyushu 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 Kitakyushu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,264 in Phuket, $1,278 in Kitakyushu – roughly 1% apart. Kitakyushu costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 per month in Phuket and $1,918 in Kitakyushu. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Kitakyushu – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $41.00 in Kitakyushu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,264, than in Kitakyushu at $1,278. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kitakyushu 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 $1,264 in Phuket to $1,278 in Kitakyushu. 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, Kitakyushu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.