Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Matsudo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Matsudo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,163 in Matsudo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,837 in Matsudo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,511 in Matsudo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than Matsudo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Matsudo 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$6.96 ¥1,113

-32.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$34.74 ¥5,556

30.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.35 ¥856

57.57%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.19 ¥511

-8.15%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.13 ¥181

-38.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.76 ¥121

-51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.03 ¥325

18.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.10 ¥336

77.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.50 ¥239

48.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.66 ¥265

10.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$4.85 ¥776

-55.26%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.55 ¥248

42.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.92 ¥1,586

98.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.21 ¥993

-41.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.23 ¥2,436

-11.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$5.99 ¥958

-45.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$3.09 ¥493

-47.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$4.14 ¥662

-41.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.62 ¥738

-54.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$3.32 ¥531

-53.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$3.56 ¥569

-58.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.33 ¥213

-25.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.87 ¥139

-41.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.08 ¥653

8.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$9.64 ¥1,541

101.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.84 ¥295

-3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.11 ¥338

28.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.60 ¥256

-14.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$54.5 ¥8,722

-79.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.41 ¥545

-11.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$2.89 ¥463

-65.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$22.09 ¥3,533

-36.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.15 ¥183

18.26%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.1K ¥3.7M

22.19%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$18.2K ¥2.9M

80.98%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$84.5 ¥13.5K

44.04%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$27.96 ¥4,472

-51.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$17.25 ¥2,759

6.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$56.7 ¥9,068

6.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.60 ¥2,176

26.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$11.40 ¥1,823

-23.77%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$283 ¥45.3K

144.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$14.0K ¥2.2M

11.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$40.94 ¥6,548

45.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$29.67 ¥4,746

17.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$60.3 ¥9,639

90.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$95.8 ¥15.3K

-13.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$476 ¥76.2K

28.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$332 ¥53.1K

31.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$878 ¥140.5K

138.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$663 ¥106.1K

127.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,662 ¥745.6K

-19.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,596 ¥415.2K

0.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,996 ¥319.3K

-74.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.05

160.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Matsudo: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $476 in Matsudo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Matsudo pays 293% 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 $35.00 in Matsudo. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $317, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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 Matsudo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matsudo is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Matsudo earns 293% 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 $476 in Matsudo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Matsudo runs roughly 379% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $283 in Matsudo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,163 in Matsudo versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Matsudo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Matsudo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Matsudo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Matsudo 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 Matsudo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.