Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,583 in Busan versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,484 in Busan versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,384 in Busan versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Busan is roughly 25% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busan is 15% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.46 ₩10.0K

$4.66 ฿154

60.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.48 ₩65.0K

$32.22 ฿1,065

50.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.79 ₩9,111

$8.68 ฿287

-21.77%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₩4,923

$2.90 ฿95.8

26.55%

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

$1.79 ₩2,398

$0.84 ฿27.89

113.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ₩1,914

$0.49 ฿16.16

191.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,007

$2.48 ฿82.0

50.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₩5,794

$3.73 ฿123

15.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,035

$1.89 ฿62.3

19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,305

$1.41 ฿46.54

127.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 ₩4,055

$1.62 ฿53.6

86.42%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,577

$2.24 ฿74.1

19.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 ₩14.9K

$19.84 ฿656

-44.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₩13.7K

$3.48 ฿115

194.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.22 ₩33.8K

$11.37 ฿376

121.81%

Apples (1kg)

$10.95 ₩14.7K

$2.90 ฿95.8

277.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.69 ₩4,953

$1.72 ฿57.0

114.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.21 ₩11.0K

$2.27 ฿75.1

261.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.03 ₩8,091

$2.13 ฿70.4

183.10%

Potato (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,795

$1.47 ฿48.72

295.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 ₩4,423

$1.42 ฿46.92

132.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 ₩3,713

$1.10 ฿36.25

151.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,780

$0.60 ฿19.76

121.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₩4,529

$4.31 ฿142

-21.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.68 ₩25.0K

$18.60 ฿615

0.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₩3,167

$1.80 ฿59.5

31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₩4,666

$2.97 ฿98.0

17.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$2.25 ฿74.2

-49.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.4 ₩81.0K

$23.49 ฿776

157.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,831

$3.10 ฿102

16.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩978

$1.08 ฿35.56

-32.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.95 ₩22.7K

$3.87 ฿128

337.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ₩1,791

$1.43 ฿47.16

-6.29%

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

$29.5K ₩39.6M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

6.33%

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

$32.9K ₩44.1M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

21.94%

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

$203 ₩272.2K

$105 ฿3,462

93.70%

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

$36.96 ₩49.6K

$11.39 ฿376

224.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.64 ₩35.7K

$17.54 ฿580

51.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.8 ₩84.2K

$54.3 ฿1,795

15.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.08 ₩13.5K

$11.44 ฿378

-11.89%

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 ₩16.2K

$7.78 ฿257

55.78%

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

$635 ₩851.7K

$576 ฿19.0K

10.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.5M

$11.6K ฿382.7K

89.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ₩142.0K

$63.6 ฿2,103

66.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.0 ₩87.1K

$29.10 ฿961

123.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₩123.7K

$96.2 ฿3,179

-4.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 ₩171.1K

$90.0 ฿2,974

41.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ₩977.2K

$733 ฿24.2K

-0.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 ₩493.1K

$501 ฿16.5K

-26.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 ₩1.8M

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-37.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 ₩944.5K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-43.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,949 ₩13.3M

$3,534 ฿116.8K

181.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,382 ₩8.6M

$2,622 ฿86.6K

143.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,802 ₩3.8M

$508 ฿16.8K

451.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.57

-24.24%

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

Last update for Busan: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Busan and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 452% 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: $48.00 in Busan vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $485 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

Busan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 452% higher in Busan, 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: $729 in Busan versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 157% less than in Busan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $635 in Busan versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,583 in Busan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Busan 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 25% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.