Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yamanashi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yamanashi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,212 in Yamanashi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,893 in Yamanashi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,575 in Yamanashi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than in Yamanashi, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Yamanashi 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$8.28 ¥1,346

-45.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$34.65 ¥5,629

33.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.36 ¥1,033

38.99%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.06 ¥496

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.17 ¥189

-37.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.70 ¥114

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$3.36 ¥545

-27.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.09 ¥502

22.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.06 ¥172

113.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.91 ¥148

98.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.35 ¥220

66.67%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.70 ¥277

32.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$13.95 ¥2,266

39.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.79 ¥941

-36.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$15.67 ¥2,547

-16.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$5.57 ¥904

-42.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.82 ¥457

-42.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.10 ¥341

13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$4.10 ¥667

-50.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.85 ¥300

-17.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.60 ¥422

-42.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.20 ¥195

-18.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.79 ¥128

-34.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.52 ¥572

26.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.48 ¥1,540

93.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.87 ¥467

-35.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.32 ¥377

15.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.66 ¥269

-15.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$56.0 ¥9,094

-79.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.51 ¥571

-11.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$2.85 ¥464

-63.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$17.03 ¥2,767

-17.15%

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

$23.1K ¥3.7M

20.55%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$16.9K ¥2.7M

96.35%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$141 ¥22.8K

-12.87%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$27.12 ¥4,406

-49.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$33.56 ¥5,452

-44.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$55.4 ¥9,003

9.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.64 ¥2,217

24.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$12.55 ¥2,039

-27.73%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$475 ¥77.1K

48.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$11.3K ¥1.8M

40.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$46.64 ¥7,578

25.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$32.08 ¥5,213

10.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$56.2 ¥9,129

105.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$91.0 ¥14.8K

-8.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$471 ¥76.5K

32.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$329 ¥53.4K

35.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$852 ¥138.5K

139.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$660 ¥107.2K

126.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$3,735 ¥606.8K

-6.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,143 ¥348.1K

20.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$4,537 ¥737.2K

-88.98%

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 Yamanashi: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $471 in Yamanashi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yamanashi pays 808% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Yamanashi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $286 per month, with Yamanashi 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 Yamanashi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yamanashi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 808% lower in Yamanashi. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $471 in Yamanashi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $475 in Yamanashi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,212 in Yamanashi versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yamanashi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yamanashi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yamanashi 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 Yamanashi 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 Yamanashi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.