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: $1,476 in Boryeong versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,367 in Boryeong versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,258 in Boryeong versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Boryeong is roughly 17% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Boryeong is 10% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 ₩13.1K

$4.56 ฿149

88.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 ₩84.3K

$46.63 ฿1,519

19.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 ₩9,538

$8.47 ฿276

-25.86%

Cappuccino

$3.76 ₩5,707

$3.03 ฿98.6

24.09%

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

$1.74 ₩2,644

$0.69 ฿22.45

152.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₩1,303

$0.37 ฿11.92

132.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.74 ₩5,677

$2.49 ฿81.0

50.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 ₩9,157

$3.66 ฿119

64.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ₩3,258

$2.18 ฿71.0

-1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 ₩5,112

$1.90 ฿62.0

77.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 ₩4,969

$2.20 ฿71.6

48.64%

Eggs

$3.16 ₩4,798

$2.22 ฿72.4

42.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.47 ₩22.0K

$19.99 ฿651

-27.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.77 ₩16.4K

$3.66 ฿119

194.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.13 ₩51.8K

$13.25 ฿432

157.58%

Apples (1kg)

$8.07 ₩12.3K

$3.23 ฿105

149.85%

Banana (1kg)

$3.60 ₩5,474

$1.70 ฿55.3

111.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.72 ₩8,691

$2.39 ฿78.0

139.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ₩9,709

$2.08 ฿67.7

207.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 ₩6,038

$1.59 ฿51.8

150.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 ₩4,302

$1.48 ฿48.31

91.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 ₩3,970

$1.03 ฿33.54

153.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₩1,838

$0.52 ฿16.83

132.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 ₩5,068

$4.25 ฿138

-21.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.07 ₩29.0K

$18.79 ฿612

1.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 ₩3,689

$1.76 ฿57.2

38.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₩4,916

$2.76 ฿89.8

17.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₩1,637

$1.36 ฿44.32

-20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 ₩5,380

$3.14 ฿102

12.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩861

$1.04 ฿33.74

-45.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ₩13.4K

$13.77 ฿448

-36.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₩1,905

$1.34 ฿43.79

-6.72%

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

$28.1K ₩42.7M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

1.65%

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

$25.5K ₩38.7M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-24.81%

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

$163 ₩247.0K

$124 ฿4,025

31.60%

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

$34.52 ₩52.4K

$13.52 ฿440

155.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.29 ₩33.8K

$18.69 ฿609

19.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.46 ₩73.6K

$61.8 ฿2,013

-21.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 ₩16.9K

$9.14 ฿298

21.55%

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

$418 ₩634.2K

$703 ฿22.9K

-40.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K ₩36.2M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

50.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 ₩89.5K

$59.5 ฿1,937

-0.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.32 ₩73.4K

$35.07 ฿1,142

37.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 ₩120.7K

$115 ฿3,754

-31.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₩175.9K

$84.1 ฿2,737

37.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$448 ₩679.9K

$619 ฿20.1K

-27.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 ₩571.3K

$433 ฿14.1K

-13.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 ₩1.6M

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-48.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 ₩1.2M

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-49.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,616 ₩14.6M

$3,646 ฿118.7K

163.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,319 ₩8.1M

$2,626 ฿85.5K

102.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,310 ₩2.0M

$507 ฿16.5K

158.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

5.33

-22.33%

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

Last update for Boryeong: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $448 in Boryeong and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boryeong pays 158% 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: $55.0 in Boryeong vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $497 vs $293 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 17% in total monthly costs ($1,476 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Boryeong pays 158% more on average, 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: $448 in Boryeong versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $418 in Boryeong versus $703 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 $47.00 versus $55.0 in Boryeong. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,476 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 17% less than in Boryeong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.