Cost of Living Comparison Between Yamanashi and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Yamanashi and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,148 in Yamanashi versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,831 in Yamanashi versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,514 in Yamanashi versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Yamanashi costs roughly 8% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yamanashi 16% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.68 ¥1,351

$4.56 ฿150

90.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.25 ¥4,864

$32.62 ฿1,073

-4.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥790

$8.90 ฿293

-43.03%

Cappuccino

$2.42 ¥376

$2.80 ฿92.2

-13.57%

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

$1.23 ¥192

$0.88 ฿28.94

39.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥128

$0.49 ฿16.08

67.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 ¥474

$2.39 ฿78.5

27.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ¥474

$3.71 ฿122

-17.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 ¥153

$1.79 ฿58.8

-45.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 ¥129

$1.44 ฿47.40

-42.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 ¥190

$1.58 ฿52.1

-22.78%

Eggs

$1.62 ¥251

$2.13 ฿69.9

-23.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.31 ¥1,916

$19.92 ฿655

-38.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.24 ¥815

$3.43 ฿113

52.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.73 ¥2,604

$11.33 ฿372

47.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 ¥764

$2.95 ฿97.0

66.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 ¥452

$1.72 ฿56.6

69.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 ¥298

$2.32 ฿76.5

-17.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 ¥552

$2.08 ฿68.4

70.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥258

$1.47 ฿48.34

12.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 ¥381

$1.36 ฿44.65

80.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ¥163

$1.10 ฿36.13

-5.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ¥102

$0.57 ฿18.89

15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 ¥590

$4.27 ฿140

-11.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.64 ¥1,500

$18.42 ฿606

-47.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ¥407

$1.87 ฿61.5

39.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥335

$2.92 ฿96.1

-26.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 ¥205

$2.22 ฿73.0

-40.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 ¥7,820

$22.90 ฿753

119.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 ¥501

$3.03 ฿99.6

6.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.84 ¥442

$1.07 ฿35.32

165.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.84 ¥2,465

$3.93 ฿129

303.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥172

$1.49 ฿49.06

-25.50%

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

$21.3K ¥3.3M

$27.1K ฿892.0K

-21.45%

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

$14.9K ¥2.3M

$27.5K ฿902.6K

-45.81%

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

$115 ¥17.9K

$103 ฿3,380

11.58%

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

$23.31 ¥3,627

$10.99 ฿361

112.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.80 ¥4,794

$17.51 ฿576

75.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.10 ¥7,330

$53.5 ฿1,760

-12.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 ¥1,759

$7.48 ฿246

51.07%

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

$573 ¥89.2K

$557 ฿18.3K

2.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K ¥2.2M

$11.9K ฿389.7K

20.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 ¥7,817

$64.1 ฿2,107

-21.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.70 ¥5,556

$29.07 ฿956

22.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 ¥9,494

$96.0 ฿3,155

-36.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 ¥15.0K

$90.3 ฿2,970

6.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ¥67.3K

$730 ฿24.0K

-40.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 ¥45.3K

$500 ฿16.4K

-41.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 ¥173.9K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-46.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 ¥120.0K

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-36.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,818 ¥594.3K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

6.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,969 ¥306.5K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-21.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,435 ¥690.2K

$503 ฿16.6K

780.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.66

5.57

-70.20%

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

Last update for Yamanashi: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Yamanashi and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yamanashi pays 781% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Yamanashi vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $273 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

Yamanashi vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yamanashi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 781% higher in Yamanashi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $432 in Yamanashi versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $573 in Yamanashi versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,148 in Yamanashi versus $1,253 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, Yamanashi 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 Yamanashi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.