Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kitakyushu

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Kitakyushu: $1,278 and $1,250 a month, rent and utilities included.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Kitakyushu
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Kitakyushu Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kitakyushu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kitakyushu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Kitakyushu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,250 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Kitakyushu $1,250

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,923 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Kitakyushu $1,923

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,596 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Kitakyushu $2,596

Phuket and Kitakyushu have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Phuket and Kitakyushu are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kitakyushu 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$7.03 ¥1,108

-36.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$32.97 ¥5,198

-1.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.43 ¥855

62.25%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.40 ¥536

-16.76%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.06 ¥167

-17.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.70 ¥111

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$3.04 ¥479

-15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.18 ¥343

68.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.42 ¥224

16.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.28 ¥201

14.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$5.29 ¥834

-71.64%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.20 ¥347

-5.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$9.42 ¥1,485

102.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.25 ¥828

-37.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$18.86 ¥2,973

-42.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$3.59 ¥566

-18.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.88 ¥296

-10.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.79 ¥440

-19.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$2.87 ¥453

-27.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.23 ¥351

-32.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$2.64 ¥417

-47.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.05 ¥165

1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.99 ¥156

-47.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.05 ¥639

3.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$6.23 ¥983

201.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.64 ¥259

10.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.72 ¥270

65.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$1.62 ¥256

-10.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$56.8 ¥8,950

-0.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.98 ¥627

-24.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$2.04 ¥322

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$17.83 ¥2,811

-79.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.05 ¥165

40.00%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$20.3K ¥3.2M

32.13%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$15.4K ¥2.4M

73.50%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$196 ¥31.0K

-50.96%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$25.10 ¥3,959

-55.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$32.21 ¥5,079

-47.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$52.1 ¥8,220

28.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$3.22 ¥508

233.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$12.65 ¥1,995

-40.71%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$379 ¥59.7K

25.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$12.3K ¥1.9M

-8.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$48.55 ¥7,656

28.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$26.37 ¥4,158

7.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$67.0 ¥10.6K

40.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$55.7 ¥8,784

54.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$555 ¥87.5K

28.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$338 ¥53.2K

45.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,005 ¥158.5K

91.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$715 ¥112.8K

100.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$4,304 ¥678.7K

-2.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$2,319 ¥365.6K

31.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$1,533 ¥241.8K

-67.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.69

229.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kitakyushu: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kitakyushu

$338 27% 31.2% $153

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kitakyushu

$275 22% 3.2% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kitakyushu

$254 20.3% 104% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kitakyushu

$89 7.1% 27% $33

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kitakyushu

$140 11.2% 14.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kitakyushu

$77 6.2% 5.8% $4.8

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kitakyushu

$77 6.2% 9.7% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $555 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 in Kitakyushu are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $33 in Kitakyushu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $275 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇯🇵 Kitakyushu

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

20:08 8:08 PM

2 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

939,029

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Kitakyushu 4,410 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kitakyushu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,875 in Kitakyushu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kitakyushu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $555 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $379 in Kitakyushu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Phuket – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,278 in Phuket and $1,250 in Kitakyushu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kitakyushu costs $1,250 versus $1,278 in Phuket. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.