Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Matsuyama Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Matsuyama

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $1,239 in Matsuyama, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $1,952 in Matsuyama, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $2,666 in Matsuyama, rent included.

Phuket costs about 1% more than Matsuyama, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Phuket and Matsuyama are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Matsuyama 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$7.00 ¥1,137

-35.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$35.00 ¥5,687

31.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.44 ¥884

62.50%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.09 ¥502

-0.97%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.11 ¥180

-34.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.80 ¥130

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.55 ¥414

-4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.17 ¥514

19.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.53 ¥248

47.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.52 ¥247

19.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.69 ¥762

-52.03%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.21 ¥359

1.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.90 ¥1,609

97.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.54 ¥1,063

-44.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$15.32 ¥2,490

-14.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$5.41 ¥879

-40.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.63 ¥428

-38.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$4.07 ¥661

-41.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$6.04 ¥981

-66.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$3.16 ¥514

-51.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.58 ¥419

-41.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.38 ¥224

-28.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.88 ¥142

-40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.08 ¥663

8.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.57 ¥1,392

113.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.82 ¥296

2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.19 ¥356

22.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.61 ¥261

-12.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$56.0 ¥9,099

-79.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.52 ¥572

-11.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$3.00 ¥488

-65.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$20.64 ¥3,353

-31.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.20 ¥195

9.17%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$23.0K ¥3.7M

20.90%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$17.3K ¥2.8M

92.27%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$141 ¥22.9K

-12.96%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$26.78 ¥4,351

-49.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$34.23 ¥5,561

-45.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$54.8 ¥8,896

10.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.63 ¥2,215

24.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$12.61 ¥2,048

-28.07%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$283 ¥45.9K

149.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$13.4K ¥2.2M

17.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$43.18 ¥7,016

35.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$29.37 ¥4,772

20.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$60.7 ¥9,860

90.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$90.7 ¥14.7K

-7.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$398 ¥64.7K

57.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$324 ¥52.7K

37.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$878 ¥142.7K

132.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$652 ¥106.0K

128.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$4,812 ¥781.8K

-27.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,180 ¥354.2K

18.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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 Matsuyama: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $398 in Matsuyama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $35.00 in Matsuyama. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Phuket vs $317 in Matsuyama – 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 Matsuyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,250 in Phuket, $1,239 in Matsuyama – roughly 1% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $1,859 in Matsuyama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 379% less in Matsuyama. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $706 per month in Phuket and $283 in Matsuyama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Matsuyama, where all-in costs run around $1,239, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Matsuyama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,239 in Matsuyama to $1,250 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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