Cost of Living Comparison Between Yamaguchi and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Yamaguchi and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,254 in Yamaguchi versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,945 in Yamaguchi versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,636 in Yamaguchi versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Yamaguchi costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.14 ¥662

$4.70 ฿154

-11.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.31 ¥5,487

$45.37 ฿1,483

-24.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 ¥899

$8.43 ฿276

-33.33%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ¥483

$2.93 ฿95.7

3.07%

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

$1.09 ¥174

$0.69 ฿22.42

57.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥124

$0.37 ฿12.00

108.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 ¥420

$2.41 ฿78.7

9.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 ¥792

$3.72 ฿122

33.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ¥266

$2.23 ฿73.0

-25.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 ¥265

$1.83 ฿59.9

-9.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.09 ¥654

$2.17 ฿70.9

88.48%

Eggs

$2.50 ¥399

$2.21 ฿72.4

13.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 ¥1,610

$19.74 ฿645

-48.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.28 ¥1,004

$3.63 ฿119

73.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.02 ¥3,362

$13.53 ฿442

55.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ¥494

$3.28 ฿107

-5.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 ¥229

$1.61 ฿52.7

-11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ¥218

$2.41 ฿78.7

-43.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.94 ¥950

$2.08 ฿68.1

185.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 ¥433

$1.53 ฿49.97

77.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.20 ¥512

$1.48 ฿48.41

116.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ¥158

$0.99 ฿32.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥122

$0.51 ฿16.68

49.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 ¥617

$4.41 ฿144

-12.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 ¥1,024

$19.38 ฿634

-66.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 ¥322

$1.78 ฿58.1

12.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥330

$2.71 ฿88.7

-23.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 ¥257

$1.37 ฿44.83

17.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ¥8,786

$11.39 ฿372

382.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ¥726

$3.02 ฿98.7

50.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 ¥473

$0.99 ฿32.51

198.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.25 ¥3,079

$14.10 ฿461

36.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥190

$1.36 ฿44.55

-13.24%

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

$23.6K ¥3.8M

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-16.26%

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

$19.8K ¥3.2M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-39.71%

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

$221 ¥35.4K

$122 ฿3,978

81.68%

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

$27.72 ¥4,433

$13.57 ฿444

104.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.15 ¥5,622

$18.31 ฿599

91.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 ¥9,062

$60.2 ฿1,969

-5.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.66 ¥2,185

$17.14 ฿560

-20.30%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 ¥2,252

$8.69 ฿284

62.03%

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

$418 ¥66.8K

$693 ฿22.7K

-39.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.2M

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-13.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.43 ¥6,947

$59.5 ฿1,946

-27.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.04 ¥4,645

$34.77 ฿1,137

-16.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.1 ¥10.6K

$115 ฿3,746

-42.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 ¥9,545

$83.3 ฿2,723

-28.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ¥74.2K

$613 ฿20.0K

-24.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ¥53.3K

$437 ฿14.3K

-23.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 ¥138.7K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-58.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ¥105.4K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-56.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,679 ¥748.4K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

24.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,266 ¥362.4K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-13.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

5.33

-68.67%

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

Last update for Yamaguchi: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Yamaguchi and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Yamaguchi vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $293, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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

Yamaguchi vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yamaguchi is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Yamaguchi and $1,898 in Phuket 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: $464 in Yamaguchi versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $418 in Yamaguchi versus $693 in Phuket. 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 $1,254 in Yamaguchi versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yamaguchi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yamaguchi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yamaguchi 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, Yamaguchi and Phuket 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 Yamaguchi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.