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: $1,504 in Boryeong versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,407 in Boryeong versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,311 in Boryeong versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Boryeong is roughly 22% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Boryeong is 12% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.74 ₩13.0K

$4.63 ฿151

88.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.4 ₩80.6K

$46.84 ฿1,532

16.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 ₩9,675

$8.84 ฿289

-26.24%

Cappuccino

$3.87 ₩5,746

$3.00 ฿98.0

29.00%

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

$1.65 ₩2,455

$0.74 ฿24.25

122.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₩1,234

$0.37 ฿11.95

124.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩5,401

$2.44 ฿79.8

49.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 ₩8,699

$3.61 ฿118

62.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ₩3,292

$2.26 ฿73.9

-1.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 ₩5,133

$1.84 ฿60.1

88.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 ₩4,848

$2.24 ฿73.4

45.98%

Eggs

$3.10 ₩4,591

$2.32 ฿75.7

33.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.56 ₩21.6K

$19.67 ฿643

-25.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.95 ₩16.2K

$3.65 ฿119

200.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.36 ₩51.0K

$13.10 ฿428

162.29%

Apples (1kg)

$8.04 ₩11.9K

$3.39 ฿111

137.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.50 ₩5,199

$1.64 ฿53.7

113.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.58 ₩8,279

$2.41 ฿79.0

131.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 ₩9,612

$2.03 ฿66.4

219.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.99 ₩5,911

$1.56 ฿50.9

155.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 ₩4,369

$1.50 ฿48.94

96.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 ₩3,727

$1.02 ฿33.50

146.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₩1,796

$0.49 ฿16.00

146.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,937

$4.45 ฿145

-25.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.85 ₩29.4K

$18.88 ฿617

5.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₩3,530

$1.78 ฿58.1

33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ₩4,976

$2.75 ฿90.1

21.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,649

$1.40 ฿45.81

-20.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 ₩5,148

$3.12 ฿102

11.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ₩796

$1.00 ฿32.67

-46.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.60 ₩12.8K

$14.09 ฿461

-38.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₩1,847

$1.35 ฿44.19

-7.41%

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

$28.2K ₩41.9M

$27.2K ฿888.9K

3.90%

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

$24.6K ₩36.4M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-25.38%

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

$163 ₩241.2K

$125 ฿4,087

30.10%

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

$34.38 ₩51.0K

$13.57 ฿444

153.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.97 ₩32.6K

$18.52 ฿606

18.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.82 ₩70.9K

$61.5 ฿2,010

-22.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 ₩16.3K

$9.19 ฿300

19.80%

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

$417 ₩618.7K

$698 ฿22.8K

-40.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K ₩35.4M

$15.6K ฿509.9K

53.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 ₩86.7K

$57.8 ฿1,889

1.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.38 ₩71.8K

$35.24 ฿1,152

37.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.2 ₩116.0K

$113 ฿3,699

-30.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₩172.2K

$86.4 ฿2,825

34.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ₩681.1K

$616 ฿20.1K

-25.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 ₩563.0K

$446 ฿14.6K

-14.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 ₩1.6M

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-47.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 ₩1.1M

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-48.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,994 ₩13.3M

$3,779 ฿123.6K

138.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,192 ₩7.7M

$2,649 ฿86.6K

96.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,334 ₩2.0M

$524 ฿17.1K

154.60%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $459 in Boryeong and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boryeong pays 155% 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: $54.0 in Boryeong vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $292 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 22% in total monthly costs ($1,504 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Boryeong pays 155% 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: $459 in Boryeong versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $417 in Boryeong versus $698 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 $54.0 in Boryeong. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,504 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 22% less than in Boryeong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.