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: $1,181 in Yamaguchi versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,829 in Yamaguchi versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,478 in Yamaguchi versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Yamaguchi costs roughly 7% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yamaguchi 14% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 ¥594

$4.66 ฿154

-16.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.66 ¥5,015

$32.22 ฿1,065

1.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥794

$8.68 ฿287

-40.44%

Cappuccino

$3.34 ¥513

$2.90 ฿95.8

15.17%

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

$1.06 ¥164

$0.84 ฿27.89

26.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 ¥103

$0.49 ฿16.16

36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.95 ¥606

$2.48 ฿82.0

59.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥339

$3.73 ฿123

-40.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥253

$1.89 ฿62.3

-12.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥301

$1.41 ฿46.54

39.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.91 ¥1,060

$1.62 ฿53.6

326.54%

Eggs

$2.22 ¥342

$2.24 ฿74.1

-0.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.30 ¥2,810

$19.84 ฿656

-7.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.64 ¥866

$3.48 ฿115

62.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.30 ¥2,963

$11.37 ฿376

69.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 ¥557

$2.90 ฿95.8

25.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ¥286

$1.72 ฿57.0

8.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ¥459

$2.27 ฿75.1

31.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 ¥519

$2.13 ฿70.4

58.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 ¥340

$1.47 ฿48.72

50.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ¥396

$1.42 ฿46.92

81.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ¥164

$1.10 ฿36.25

-2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥143

$0.60 ฿19.76

55.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ¥635

$4.31 ฿142

-3.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.44 ¥989

$18.60 ฿615

-65.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥263

$1.80 ฿59.5

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥291

$2.97 ฿98.0

-36.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 ¥226

$2.25 ฿74.2

-34.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.9 ¥9,500

$23.49 ฿776

163.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 ¥633

$3.10 ฿102

32.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 ¥321

$1.08 ฿35.56

93.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.38 ¥2,823

$3.87 ฿128

374.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥174

$1.43 ฿47.16

-20.98%

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

$22.0K ¥3.4M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-20.79%

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

$18.0K ¥2.8M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-33.41%

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

$190 ¥29.1K

$105 ฿3,462

80.96%

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

$25.04 ¥3,845

$11.39 ฿376

119.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.96 ¥5,215

$17.54 ฿580

93.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 ¥7,385

$54.3 ฿1,795

-11.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$11.28 ¥1,732

$7.78 ฿257

44.99%

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

$130 ¥20.0K

$576 ฿19.0K

-77.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K ¥1.9M

$11.6K ฿382.7K

8.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.96 ¥5,983

$63.6 ฿2,103

-38.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.04 ¥3,692

$29.10 ฿961

-17.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.9 ¥9,353

$96.2 ฿3,179

-36.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.32 ¥7,573

$90.0 ฿2,974

-45.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ¥65.8K

$733 ฿24.2K

-41.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 ¥40.2K

$501 ฿16.5K

-47.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 ¥123.2K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-62.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 ¥88.1K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-54.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,646 ¥713.4K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

31.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,992 ¥305.9K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-24.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.85

5.57

-66.79%

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

Last update for Yamaguchi: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Yamaguchi and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Yamaguchi vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $275 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

Yamaguchi vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yamaguchi is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,771 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: $429 in Yamaguchi versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $130 in Yamaguchi versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,181 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 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.