Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maebashi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maebashi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $1,285 in Maebashi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $1,976 in Maebashi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $2,668 in Maebashi, rent included.

Phuket is about 3% cheaper than Maebashi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Maebashi are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Maebashi 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.93 ¥802

-7.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$35.06 ¥5,696

31.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.91 ¥960

49.58%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.03 ¥492

0.99%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.86 ¥140

-15.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.68 ¥110

-41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.50 ¥406

-2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.15 ¥512

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.40 ¥228

61.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.74 ¥283

4.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.48 ¥240

52.03%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.77 ¥288

27.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$17.37 ¥2,822

12.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.97 ¥808

-26.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$15.43 ¥2,506

-15.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$8.80 ¥1,430

-63.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.79 ¥453

-41.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$4.98 ¥809

-52.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$9.46 ¥1,538

-78.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$3.89 ¥631

-60.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.58 ¥419

-41.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.33 ¥217

-26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.53 ¥86.6

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.40 ¥552

30.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.08 ¥1,475

101.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.85 ¥464

-34.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.35 ¥382

14.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.58 ¥257

-10.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$56.2 ¥9,137

-79.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.50 ¥568

-11.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$2.91 ¥474

-64.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$34.94 ¥5,676

-59.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.17 ¥190

11.97%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$23.1K ¥3.8M

20.27%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$16.7K ¥2.7M

99.00%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$140 ¥22.8K

-12.74%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$27.61 ¥4,487

-50.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$33.58 ¥5,455

-44.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$55.7 ¥9,041

8.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$14.13 ¥2,296

20.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$12.71 ¥2,065

-28.64%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$469 ¥76.2K

50.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$11.2K ¥1.8M

41.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$45.84 ¥7,448

27.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$32.23 ¥5,236

9.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$56.0 ¥9,093

106.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$92.9 ¥15.1K

-9.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$460 ¥74.8K

35.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$331 ¥53.7K

34.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$849 ¥138.0K

140.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$669 ¥108.7K

123.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$3,976 ¥645.9K

-12.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,350 ¥381.9K

9.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,638 ¥266.1K

-69.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.78

199.44%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Maebashi: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $460 in Maebashi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 228% higher in Maebashi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $35.00 in Maebashi. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Phuket vs $361 in Maebashi – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Maebashi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Maebashi is pricier by about 3%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $1,927 in Maebashi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $35.00 in Maebashi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,250 in Phuket and $1,285 in Maebashi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Maebashi at $1,285. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Maebashi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Maebashi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.