Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kurume Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kurume

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,019 in Kurume.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,606 in Kurume.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,194 in Kurume.

Living in Phuket is roughly 24% more expensive than Kurume, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kurume 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.79 ¥766

-1.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$41.36 ¥6,616

9.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.06 ¥649

107.64%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.02 ¥323

45.05%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.80 ¥128

-13.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.59 ¥95.0

-37.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.45 ¥552

-30.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.71 ¥273

117.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.42 ¥227

57.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.37 ¥218

33.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$4.24 ¥679

-48.82%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.14 ¥342

3.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.18 ¥1,628

93.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.10 ¥976

-40.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$20.39 ¥3,261

-33.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.15 ¥504

4.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.43 ¥229

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.42 ¥227

69.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$5.97 ¥955

-65.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.85 ¥456

-46.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$3.20 ¥512

-53.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.99 ¥159

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.80 ¥128

-36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.81 ¥609

15.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$6.19 ¥990

213.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.99 ¥319

-10.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.25 ¥199

116.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.60 ¥255

-14.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$54.8 ¥8,763

-79.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$4.62 ¥739

-34.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$2.88 ¥461

-65.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$19.64 ¥3,141

-28.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.66 ¥106

106.06%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.0K ¥3.7M

22.38%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.3K ¥3.3M

61.72%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$213 ¥34.1K

-42.88%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$26.86 ¥4,295

-49.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$25.14 ¥4,021

-27.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$55.7 ¥8,912

8.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.93 ¥2,227

23.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.52 ¥1,204

15.56%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$423 ¥67.6K

63.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

19.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$43.55 ¥6,966

36.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$13.64 ¥2,182

154.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$27.11 ¥4,337

322.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$35.11 ¥5,616

137.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$204 ¥32.6K

200.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$138 ¥22.0K

217.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$521 ¥83.3K

302.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$351 ¥56.2K

329.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,879 ¥780.4K

-23.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,517 ¥402.5K

3.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,526 ¥244.1K

-66.70%

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 Kurume: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $204 in Kurume. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 200% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $41.00 in Kurume for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $289 per month, with Kurume 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 Kurume: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Kurume differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,019 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kurume earns 200% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $204 in Kurume. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurume – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,019 in Kurume versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kurume but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kurume 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 Kurume 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 Kurume gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.