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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,269 in Kumamoto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,963 in Kumamoto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,658 in Kumamoto.

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and Kumamoto; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kumamoto 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$8.44 ¥1,350

-44.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$34.17 ¥5,466

32.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.21 ¥993

35.75%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.08 ¥493

-4.87%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.66 ¥105

4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.82 ¥132

-54.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.69 ¥271

42.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.14 ¥342

73.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.37 ¥219

62.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.58 ¥253

15.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$4.11 ¥657

-47.20%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.06 ¥329

7.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.03 ¥1,604

96.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.03 ¥964

-39.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$21.17 ¥3,386

-36.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.10 ¥496

5.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.42 ¥228

13.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.41 ¥226

70.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$5.85 ¥936

-64.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.72 ¥435

-43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$3.22 ¥515

-54.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.97 ¥155

2.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.76 ¥121

-32.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.93 ¥629

12.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$5.61 ¥897

245.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.90 ¥304

-6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.11 ¥337

28.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.67 ¥267

-17.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$56.3 ¥9,001

-79.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$4.72 ¥755

-36.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$3.00 ¥480

-67.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$19.29 ¥3,085

-26.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.19 ¥190

14.29%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.0K ¥3.7M

22.61%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.1K ¥3.2M

63.31%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$213 ¥34.1K

-42.96%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$26.96 ¥4,312

-49.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$35.73 ¥5,715

-48.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$56.0 ¥8,949

7.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.04 ¥2,246

22.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$13.65 ¥2,184

-36.34%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$408 ¥65.2K

70.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

19.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$43.84 ¥7,013

35.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$29.57 ¥4,730

17.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$64.9 ¥10.4K

76.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$60.1 ¥9,613

38.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$466 ¥74.5K

31.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$325 ¥52.0K

34.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$867 ¥138.7K

141.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$664 ¥106.2K

127.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,290 ¥686.2K

-12.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,396 ¥383.2K

9.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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 2, 2026

Last update for Kumamoto: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $466 in Kumamoto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Kumamoto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,903 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: $613 in Phuket versus $466 in Kumamoto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $408 in Kumamoto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $34.00 in Kumamoto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,269 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Kumamoto on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.