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 $943 in Kurume.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,507 in Kurume.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,072 in Kurume.

Living in Phuket is roughly 34% more expensive than in Kurume, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Kurume 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$4.17 ¥641

11.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$41.86 ¥6,428

-23.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$3.58 ¥550

142.46%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.83 ¥280

58.47%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.66 ¥101

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.50 ¥77.0

-2.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$3.09 ¥475

-19.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$1.59 ¥243

134.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.22 ¥188

54.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.27 ¥196

11.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$4.91 ¥754

-67.01%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.90 ¥292

17.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$18.12 ¥2,782

9.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$5.48 ¥842

-36.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$17.35 ¥2,664

-34.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.52 ¥541

-17.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.86 ¥286

-7.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.80 ¥430

-18.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$3.24 ¥497

-34.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.15 ¥330

-31.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$2.52 ¥386

-43.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.02 ¥156

7.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.91 ¥140

-34.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.51 ¥540

22.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$6.29 ¥966

195.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.68 ¥258

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.13 ¥173

162.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.44 ¥222

56.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$56.6 ¥8,688

-58.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$3.79 ¥582

-18.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.04 ¥314

-47.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$17.64 ¥2,708

-78.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.64 ¥98.2

123.44%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$21.9K ¥3.4M

26.79%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$17.6K ¥2.7M

52.95%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$214 ¥32.8K

-50.94%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$24.15 ¥3,709

-52.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$22.63 ¥3,474

-22.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$51.3 ¥7,871

6.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$6.93 ¥1,065

12.27%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$124 ¥19.0K

366.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$11.9K ¥1.8M

-3.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$37.04 ¥5,687

71.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$12.33 ¥1,893

136.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$24.83 ¥3,813

287.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$30.95 ¥4,753

190.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$473 ¥72.6K

55.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$124 ¥19.1K

302.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$463 ¥71.1K

358.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$309 ¥47.5K

304.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$4,320 ¥663.4K

-18.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,916 ¥294.3K

36.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,483 ¥227.8K

-65.78%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Kurume: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $473 in Kurume. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 192% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Kurume for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $292 per month, with Phuket 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $943 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 192% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $473 in Kurume. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurume – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $943 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 34% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.