Cost of Living Comparison Between Boryeong and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Boryeong and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,463 in Boryeong versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Boryeong versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,300 in Boryeong versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Boryeong is roughly 16% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Boryeong is 6% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.64 ₩12.9K

$4.66 ฿154

106.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 ₩91.2K

$32.22 ฿1,065

110.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 ₩9,697

$8.68 ฿287

-16.71%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,520

$2.90 ฿95.8

42.07%

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

$1.57 ₩2,108

$0.84 ฿27.89

86.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₩1,118

$0.49 ฿16.16

69.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 ₩4,844

$2.48 ฿82.0

45.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 ₩7,764

$3.73 ฿123

55.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ₩2,763

$1.89 ฿62.3

8.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 ₩4,062

$1.41 ฿46.54

114.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 ₩5,749

$1.62 ฿53.6

164.81%

Eggs

$3.41 ₩4,576

$2.24 ฿74.1

52.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.28 ₩23.2K

$19.84 ฿656

-12.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 ₩13.2K

$3.48 ฿115

182.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.16 ₩33.7K

$11.37 ฿376

121.28%

Apples (1kg)

$7.46 ₩10.0K

$2.90 ฿95.8

157.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.42 ₩4,583

$1.72 ฿57.0

98.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.77 ₩7,740

$2.27 ฿75.1

154.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.07 ₩8,136

$2.13 ฿70.4

184.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₩4,987

$1.47 ฿48.72

153.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 ₩3,357

$1.42 ฿46.92

76.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,784

$1.10 ฿36.25

156.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₩1,441

$0.60 ฿19.76

78.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,591

$4.31 ฿142

-20.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.87 ₩25.3K

$18.60 ฿615

1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₩3,238

$1.80 ฿59.5

33.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ₩4,214

$2.97 ฿98.0

5.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,477

$2.25 ฿74.2

-51.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 ₩4,872

$3.10 ฿102

17.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₩783

$1.08 ฿35.56

-46.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.15 ₩12.3K

$3.87 ฿128

136.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,007

$1.43 ฿47.16

4.90%

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

$28.8K ₩38.6M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

3.57%

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

$28.0K ₩37.6M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

3.90%

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

$202 ₩270.6K

$105 ฿3,462

92.57%

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

$35.51 ₩47.6K

$11.39 ฿376

211.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.80 ₩26.6K

$17.54 ฿580

12.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 ₩76.1K

$54.3 ฿1,795

4.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.02 ₩14.8K

$11.44 ฿378

-3.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 ₩15.1K

$7.78 ฿257

44.34%

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

$587 ₩786.6K

$576 ฿19.0K

1.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.7M

$11.6K ฿382.7K

97.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 ₩78.3K

$63.6 ฿2,103

-8.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.25 ₩44.6K

$29.10 ฿961

14.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ₩93.9K

$96.2 ฿3,179

-27.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.5 ₩108.0K

$90.0 ฿2,974

-10.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ₩568.0K

$733 ฿24.2K

-42.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 ₩525.1K

$501 ฿16.5K

-21.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 ₩1.5M

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-47.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 ₩864.8K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-48.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,231 ₩8.4M

$3,534 ฿116.8K

76.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,992 ₩8.0M

$2,622 ฿86.6K

128.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,488 ₩2.0M

$508 ฿16.8K

193.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.57

-26.75%

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

Last update for Boryeong: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Boryeong and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boryeong pays 193% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Boryeong vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $466 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

Boryeong vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boryeong and Phuket differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,463 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 193% higher in Boryeong, 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: $424 in Boryeong versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $587 in Boryeong versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $68.0 in Boryeong. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,463 in Boryeong, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Boryeong. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Boryeong 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 16% less than in Boryeong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.