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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,210 in Yamanashi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,921 in Yamanashi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,632 in Yamanashi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 2% more expensive than in Yamanashi, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Yamanashi 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$8.63 ¥1,348

-48.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$32.74 ¥5,113

-1.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$5.06 ¥790

76.48%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.43 ¥379

19.34%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.29 ¥202

-31.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.86 ¥134

-44.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$3.31 ¥517

-29.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.19 ¥498

16.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.00 ¥157

87.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$0.81 ¥127

81.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.29 ¥201

20.16%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.61 ¥251

30.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$13.10 ¥2,047

49.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.42 ¥846

-36.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$17.59 ¥2,746

-35.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$5.09 ¥795

-41.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$3.17 ¥495

-47.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.89 ¥295

16.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$3.80 ¥593

-43.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.77 ¥277

-14.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$2.40 ¥375

-44.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.13 ¥177

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.73 ¥114

-24.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.95 ¥617

7.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$9.80 ¥1,530

94.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.56 ¥400

-30.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.20 ¥344

26.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$1.38 ¥216

61.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$62.0 ¥9,684

-63.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.18 ¥497

-4.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$2.87 ¥449

-64.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$16.32 ¥2,548

-76.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.08 ¥169

37.96%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$22.0K ¥3.4M

20.86%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$15.3K ¥2.4M

76.31%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$120 ¥18.8K

-14.72%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$23.53 ¥3,675

-51.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$31.90 ¥4,981

-45.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$57.9 ¥9,035

-9.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$11.60 ¥1,812

-33.71%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$597 ¥93.2K

-6.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$15.0K ¥2.3M

-23.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$51.3 ¥8,017

22.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$36.54 ¥5,706

-19.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$63.1 ¥9,856

55.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$101 ¥15.7K

-12.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$529 ¥82.6K

39.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$385 ¥60.2K

25.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$1,083 ¥169.2K

94.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$691 ¥107.9K

77.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$3,427 ¥535.2K

5.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,812 ¥282.9K

43.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$4,537 ¥708.6K

-89.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.66

235.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Yamanashi: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $529 in Yamanashi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yamanashi pays 819% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Yamanashi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $280 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 Yamanashi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yamanashi is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 819% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $529 in Yamanashi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $597 in Yamanashi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,210 in Yamanashi versus $1,232 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 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.