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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,285 in Kumamoto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,944 in Kumamoto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,603 in Kumamoto.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 2% less than in Kumamoto, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kumamoto 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$8.35 ¥1,362

-45.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,563

$35.16 ¥5,738

31.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿292

$5.97 ¥974

44.89%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$3.06 ¥499

0.98%

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

$0.68 ฿22.86

$0.72 ¥117

-5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.42

$0.75 ¥123

-50.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.5

$1.69 ¥275

43.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$2.02 ¥330

88.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.30 ¥212

67.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.3

$1.60 ¥261

13.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$4.26 ¥696

-48.83%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.4

$2.02 ¥330

10.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿672

$10.24 ¥1,671

94.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$6.05 ¥988

-39.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$20.65 ¥3,370

-34.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$3.21 ¥524

2.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.37 ¥223

23.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.7

$1.43 ¥233

62.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$5.81 ¥948

-65.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.82 ¥460

-43.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$3.14 ¥512

-52.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.13

$0.99 ¥162

2.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.07

$0.76 ¥124

-36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$3.99 ¥652

11.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$5.49 ¥896

239.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$1.93 ¥316

-7.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.3

$2.14 ¥349

30.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.84

$1.67 ¥272

-14.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$56.3 ¥9,188

-79.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$4.63 ¥756

-33.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.15

$2.91 ¥476

-64.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$19.82 ¥3,235

-31.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.18

$1.24 ¥203

5.65%

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

$27.3K ฿919.6K

$22.8K ¥3.7M

19.52%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$19.8K ¥3.2M

67.97%

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

$123 ฿4,152

$214 ¥34.9K

-42.42%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$27.11 ¥4,425

-49.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$35.33 ¥5,765

-47.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,035

$56.6 ¥9,230

6.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

$13.91 ¥2,270

20.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿300

$13.99 ¥2,284

-36.45%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$412 ¥67.3K

66.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿524.2K

$13.3K ¥2.2M

17.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,943

$43.68 ¥7,128

31.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$29.63 ¥4,835

16.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,874

$67.0 ¥10.9K

71.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,862

$61.5 ¥10.0K

37.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$468 ¥76.4K

31.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$325 ¥53.0K

36.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$869 ¥141.7K

135.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.8K

$666 ¥108.6K

126.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.3K

$4,389 ¥716.3K

-18.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$2,286 ¥373.1K

9.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

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 20, 2026

Last update for Kumamoto: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $468 in Kumamoto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Kumamoto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $289 per month, with Kumamoto cheaper across the board.

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 2% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $1,285 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,927 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: $618 in Phuket versus $468 in Kumamoto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 397% less than in Kumamoto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $412 in Kumamoto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,285 in Kumamoto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kumamoto. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Kumamoto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.