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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $1,290 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,998 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $2,706 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Phuket is about 2% cheaper than Kitakyushu, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Phuket and Kitakyushu are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kitakyushu 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$7.35 ¥1,175

-37.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$42.01 ¥6,719

11.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.93 ¥788

71.81%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.02 ¥483

0.33%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.09 ¥174

-36.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.77 ¥124

-51.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.62 ¥419

-4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.21 ¥513

14.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.56 ¥250

39.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.66 ¥266

14.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$4.05 ¥648

-45.68%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.54 ¥407

-12.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$10.11 ¥1,617

97.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.22 ¥995

-41.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$20.46 ¥3,273

-35.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.18 ¥508

1.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.36 ¥218

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.37 ¥219

74.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.12 ¥500

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.83 ¥453

-43.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$3.12 ¥498

-52.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.92 ¥147

11.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.79 ¥127

-34.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.99 ¥638

6.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$6.19 ¥990

203.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.95 ¥312

-9.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.13 ¥341

29.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.65 ¥263

-17.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$55.6 ¥8,888

-79.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$4.67 ¥748

-32.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.92 ¥467

-64.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$19.35 ¥3,095

-28.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.18 ¥189

13.56%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$23.1K ¥3.7M

19.88%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$19.8K ¥3.2M

71.18%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$217 ¥34.7K

-43.03%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$26.66 ¥4,263

-49.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$35.62 ¥5,697

-47.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$56.4 ¥9,022

9.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$13.65 ¥2,183

26.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$14.11 ¥2,256

-35.22%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$418 ¥66.8K

68.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$13.3K ¥2.1M

19.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$43.39 ¥6,939

37.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$28.98 ¥4,635

21.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$64.9 ¥10.4K

77.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$59.5 ¥9,512

41.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$463 ¥74.1K

33.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$328 ¥52.5K

31.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$856 ¥136.9K

140.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$662 ¥105.9K

128.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$4,507 ¥720.9K

-19.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$2,376 ¥380.0K

10.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,503 ¥240.3K

-66.26%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kitakyushu: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $463 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $42.00 in Kitakyushu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $281 – 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: $1,261 in Phuket, $1,290 in Kitakyushu – roughly 2% apart. Kitakyushu costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $1,935 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 4% 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 $47.00 in Phuket and $42.00 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 $1,261, than in Kitakyushu at $1,290. 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 $1,261 in Phuket to $1,290 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.