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: $1,287 in Yamaguchi versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,972 in Yamaguchi versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,657 in Yamaguchi versus $3,317 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Yamaguchi 4% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.27 ¥694

$4.55 ฿153

-6.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.37 ¥5,584

$46.18 ฿1,553

-25.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.56 ¥904

$8.84 ฿297

-37.10%

Cappuccino

$3.18 ¥517

$3.06 ฿103

3.92%

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

$1.04 ¥169

$0.73 ฿24.40

42.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥123

$0.40 ฿13.39

90.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 ¥430

$2.43 ฿81.8

9.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 ¥803

$3.78 ฿127

30.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ¥272

$2.26 ฿76.0

-25.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥271

$1.81 ฿60.9

-7.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 ¥680

$2.25 ฿75.8

85.78%

Eggs

$2.57 ¥418

$2.25 ฿75.5

14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 ¥1,654

$19.51 ฿656

-47.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.00 ¥975

$3.65 ฿123

64.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.05 ¥3,420

$13.05 ฿439

61.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 ¥515

$3.23 ฿109

-1.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 ¥228

$1.62 ฿54.4

-13.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 ¥229

$2.38 ฿80.1

-40.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 ¥942

$2.03 ฿68.1

185.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 ¥455

$1.53 ฿51.6

83.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ¥528

$1.50 ฿50.5

116.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ¥160

$0.98 ฿32.91

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥123

$0.52 ฿17.39

44.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.92 ¥637

$4.44 ฿149

-11.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.34 ¥1,030

$18.32 ฿616

-65.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ¥323

$1.86 ฿62.7

6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥348

$2.68 ฿90.1

-20.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 ¥272

$1.41 ฿47.46

18.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ¥8,985

$11.70 ฿393

372.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 ¥759

$3.11 ฿105

50.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.91 ¥473

$1.04 ฿35.06

179.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.33 ¥3,141

$14.11 ฿474

37.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ¥195

$1.31 ฿44.10

-8.40%

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

$23.4K ¥3.8M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-15.89%

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

$20.3K ¥3.3M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-38.83%

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

$216 ¥35.1K

$122 ฿4,118

76.31%

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

$27.09 ¥4,401

$13.59 ฿457

99.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.57 ¥5,780

$18.70 ฿629

90.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 ¥8,898

$60.5 ฿2,034

-9.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.05 ¥2,283

$16.98 ฿571

-17.26%

Cinema Ticket

$13.68 ¥2,222

$9.07 ฿305

50.83%

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

$422 ¥68.5K

$706 ฿23.8K

-40.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K ¥2.2M

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-13.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.18 ¥7,016

$58.6 ฿1,969

-26.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.49 ¥4,792

$35.36 ฿1,189

-16.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.9 ¥10.7K

$115 ฿3,883

-42.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 ¥9,701

$83.7 ฿2,816

-28.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ¥77.5K

$626 ฿21.0K

-23.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 ¥54.3K

$445 ฿15.0K

-24.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 ¥143.3K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-56.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 ¥106.0K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-56.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,333 ¥704.0K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

24.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,945 ¥316.0K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-24.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Yamaguchi and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Yamaguchi vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $289, 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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Yamaguchi and $1,875 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: $477 in Yamaguchi versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Yamaguchi versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,287 in Yamaguchi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Yamaguchi. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Yamaguchi, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Yamaguchi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.