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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,022 in Kurume.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,597 in Kurume.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,172 in Kurume.

Living in Phuket is roughly 22% more expensive than in Kurume, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.85 ¥788

-6.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$41.86 ¥6,802

10.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.17 ¥678

111.99%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.10 ¥342

45.71%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.77 ¥125

-5.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.55 ¥89.4

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$3.45 ¥560

-29.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.76 ¥285

114.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.42 ¥230

59.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.43 ¥232

26.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.13 ¥670

-45.52%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.10 ¥340

7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.25 ¥1,665

90.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.12 ¥994

-40.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$21.02 ¥3,416

-37.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.05 ¥496

5.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.41 ¥229

14.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.36 ¥222

75.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$5.83 ¥947

-65.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.76 ¥448

-44.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.13 ¥508

-52.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.98 ¥159

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.76 ¥124

-31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.96 ¥643

12.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.04 ¥982

203.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.94 ¥315

-4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.21 ¥196

121.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.60 ¥260

-11.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$54.7 ¥8,892

-78.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$4.78 ¥776

-34.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$2.91 ¥473

-64.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$19.75 ¥3,210

-28.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.70 ¥115

87.14%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$23.3K ¥3.8M

19.26%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$19.7K ¥3.2M

68.45%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$215 ¥34.9K

-43.06%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$27.50 ¥4,468

-50.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$24.68 ¥4,010

-24.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$55.0 ¥8,933

10.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.64 ¥2,217

24.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.83 ¥1,272

15.84%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$416 ¥67.6K

69.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

19.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$42.71 ¥6,940

37.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$13.93 ¥2,263

153.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$26.69 ¥4,336

332.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$34.22 ¥5,561

144.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$211 ¥34.3K

196.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$140 ¥22.8K

217.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$527 ¥85.6K

287.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$343 ¥55.7K

334.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$4,477 ¥727.4K

-22.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,230 ¥362.4K

15.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,480 ¥240.5K

-66.23%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Kurume: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $211 in Kurume. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 196% 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 $42.00 in Kurume for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $288 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 22% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $1,022 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 196% lower in Kurume. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $211 in Kurume. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% 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 $42.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,022 in Kurume versus $1,250 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 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.