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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,187 in Matsudo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,947 in Matsudo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,707 in Matsudo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than in Matsudo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Matsudo 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.40 ¥1,000

-31.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$38.62 ¥6,031

-16.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$5.14 ¥803

73.74%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$3.62 ¥566

-19.89%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.09 ¥170

-19.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.81 ¥127

-40.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$2.65 ¥413

-11.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.27 ¥511

13.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.48 ¥231

26.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.69 ¥265

-13.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$3.67 ¥573

-57.77%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.12 ¥331

-0.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$11.01 ¥1,720

77.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.39 ¥998

-46.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$15.00 ¥2,343

-24.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$5.15 ¥804

-42.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$2.43 ¥380

-30.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.88 ¥449

-23.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$4.26 ¥665

-49.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.62 ¥410

-41.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$2.66 ¥415

-49.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.26 ¥197

-10.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.82 ¥128

-32.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.84 ¥599

10.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$6.40 ¥1,000

198.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.81 ¥282

-1.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.09 ¥327

33.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$1.56 ¥244

42.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$58.8 ¥9,186

-61.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.30 ¥515

-8.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$2.66 ¥415

-61.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$19.38 ¥3,026

-79.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.09 ¥170

36.70%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$21.7K ¥3.4M

22.31%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$15.5K ¥2.4M

74.60%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$134 ¥20.9K

-23.38%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$22.46 ¥3,508

-49.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$31.04 ¥4,847

-43.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$47.29 ¥7,386

10.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$13.18 ¥2,058

-41.65%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$639 ¥99.8K

-12.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

-24.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$54.5 ¥8,513

15.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$32.57 ¥5,087

-9.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$63.2 ¥9,863

55.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$72.1 ¥11.3K

22.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$456 ¥71.2K

61.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$318 ¥49.7K

51.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$906 ¥141.5K

132.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$751 ¥117.3K

63.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$4,048 ¥632.1K

-10.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,866 ¥291.4K

39.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.94

187.11%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Matsudo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $456 in Matsudo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Matsudo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 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 Matsudo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matsudo is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,781 in Matsudo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $456 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 159% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $639 in Matsudo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,187 in Matsudo versus $1,232 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 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.