Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kumamoto Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kumamoto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,241 in Kumamoto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,936 in Kumamoto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,630 in Kumamoto.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than in Kumamoto, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Kumamoto 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$7.00 ¥1,094

-34.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$30.81 ¥4,814

5.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$5.52 ¥862

61.23%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$3.21 ¥501

-12.77%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.03 ¥161

-14.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.67 ¥105

-26.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$3.84 ¥600

-37.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.15 ¥336

72.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.28 ¥200

39.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.84 ¥287

-21.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$6.33 ¥989

-75.04%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.91 ¥298

11.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$18.11 ¥2,829

9.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$5.27 ¥824

-34.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$16.66 ¥2,603

-31.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$3.59 ¥560

-17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.86 ¥291

-7.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$2.81 ¥439

-17.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$3.33 ¥521

-37.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$2.10 ¥328

-30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$2.62 ¥409

-48.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.03 ¥160

6.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.97 ¥151

-41.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.84 ¥599

11.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$5.58 ¥871

230.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.69 ¥263

10.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.86 ¥291

56.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$1.37 ¥215

62.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$61.2 ¥9,554

-62.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$3.81 ¥595

-20.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$1.98 ¥310

-45.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$17.83 ¥2,786

-77.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.10 ¥172

35.45%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$21.3K ¥3.3M

27.58%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$17.4K ¥2.7M

58.04%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$211 ¥32.9K

-51.25%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$24.54 ¥3,834

-55.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$32.87 ¥5,136

-46.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$44.03 ¥6,879

21.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$10.88 ¥1,699

-31.25%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$126 ¥19.6K

343.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$12.1K ¥1.9M

-1.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$37.30 ¥5,828

71.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$23.77 ¥3,714

22.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$60.0 ¥9,367

60.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$46.57 ¥7,275

93.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$473 ¥73.9K

54.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$330 ¥51.5K

51.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,055 ¥164.8K

98.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$735 ¥114.9K

64.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$4,127 ¥644.7K

-12.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,772 ¥276.8K

41.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.97

182.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Kumamoto: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $473 in Kumamoto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Kumamoto. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $302, 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 Kumamoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Kumamoto differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,253 vs $1,241 including rent). Kumamoto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $1,862 in Kumamoto to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $473 in Kumamoto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kumamoto runs roughly 167% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $126 in Kumamoto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,241 in Kumamoto versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kumamoto but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kumamoto 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 Kumamoto 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 Kumamoto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.