Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kobe Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kobe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,233 in Kobe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,889 in Kobe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,545 in Kobe.

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than in Kobe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Kobe 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$8.40 ¥1,323

-46.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$27.36 ¥4,311

66.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.92 ¥776

78.05%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.11 ¥491

-4.50%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.95 ¥149

-27.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.74 ¥117

-47.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.39 ¥376

5.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.09 ¥487

21.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.63 ¥257

31.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.22 ¥192

49.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$4.75 ¥748

-54.11%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.64 ¥259

37.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$14.03 ¥2,211

42.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.77 ¥1,224

-53.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$15.18 ¥2,393

-10.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$8.94 ¥1,409

-63.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.87 ¥453

-42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$4.81 ¥758

-51.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$9.69 ¥1,527

-78.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$3.85 ¥607

-59.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.69 ¥424

-45.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.38 ¥217

-28.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.36 ¥214

-64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.50 ¥552

24.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$7.80 ¥1,228

138.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.75 ¥434

-32.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.29 ¥361

15.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.50 ¥237

-5.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$37.71 ¥5,941

-69.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.41 ¥537

-7.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.29 ¥204

-20.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$17.45 ¥2,750

-20.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.24 ¥196

8.06%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$21.6K ¥3.4M

28.52%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$14.5K ¥2.3M

129.55%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$143 ¥22.5K

-13.84%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$26.72 ¥4,210

-48.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$34.31 ¥5,406

-46.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$48.14 ¥7,586

26.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$20.98 ¥3,305

-18.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$12.45 ¥1,962

-28.76%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$353 ¥55.6K

95.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$11.3K ¥1.8M

40.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$45.86 ¥7,226

29.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$31.43 ¥4,953

10.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$40.50 ¥6,381

184.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$48.16 ¥7,589

73.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$491 ¥77.3K

26.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$312 ¥49.1K

43.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$696 ¥109.7K

192.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$584 ¥92.0K

156.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$4,150 ¥654.0K

-16.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,822 ¥444.6K

-10.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,692 ¥266.6K

-70.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.78

199.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kobe: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $491 in Kobe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kobe pays 243% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Kobe. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $383, with Phuket 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 Kobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kobe wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kobe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 243% lower in Kobe. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $491 in Kobe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kobe runs roughly 226% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $353 in Kobe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,233 in Kobe versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kobe but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kobe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kobe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,233 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kobe hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kobe 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 Kobe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.