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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,231 in Yamanashi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,893 in Yamanashi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,555 in Yamanashi.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Yamanashi 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$8.52 ¥1,362

-44.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$35.03 ¥5,603

29.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.22 ¥995

35.53%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.10 ¥496

-5.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.19 ¥190

-42.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.70 ¥112

-47.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.35 ¥536

-28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.16 ¥506

17.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.06 ¥170

110.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.94 ¥151

94.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.36 ¥217

59.56%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.73 ¥276

27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$14.08 ¥2,252

40.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.77 ¥922

-37.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.43 ¥2,468

-12.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$5.59 ¥894

-41.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.87 ¥460

-43.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.10 ¥336

14.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.04 ¥647

-48.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.92 ¥307

-20.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.60 ¥415

-43.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.21 ¥193

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.73 ¥117

-30.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.49 ¥558

26.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$9.33 ¥1,492

107.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.86 ¥457

-37.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.28 ¥365

18.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.67 ¥267

-17.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$54.9 ¥8,778

-79.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.51 ¥561

-13.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$2.93 ¥468

-66.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$17.52 ¥2,803

-19.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.18 ¥189

15.25%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.0K ¥3.7M

22.66%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.8K ¥2.7M

95.65%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$138 ¥22.1K

-12.12%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$27.00 ¥4,318

-49.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$34.38 ¥5,499

-46.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$55.5 ¥8,873

8.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.92 ¥2,226

23.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$12.62 ¥2,019

-31.14%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$469 ¥75.0K

47.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$11.4K ¥1.8M

37.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$46.40 ¥7,421

28.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$32.10 ¥5,135

8.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$56.2 ¥8,981

104.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$91.7 ¥14.7K

-9.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$472 ¥75.4K

30.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$335 ¥53.5K

30.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$870 ¥139.2K

140.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$668 ¥106.8K

125.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,666 ¥746.4K

-19.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,725 ¥435.8K

-4.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$4,567 ¥730.5K

-88.87%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Yamanashi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $472 in Yamanashi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yamanashi pays 799% 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 Yamanashi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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, Yamanashi earns 799% 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 $472 in Yamanashi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $469 in Yamanashi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,231 in Yamanashi versus $1,265 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.