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: $1,491 in Busan versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,362 in Busan versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,234 in Busan versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Busan is roughly 21% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busan is 11% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.32 ₩10.8K

$4.63 ฿151

58.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.93 ₩54.4K

$46.84 ฿1,523

-21.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 ₩8,845

$8.84 ฿287

-32.13%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩6,016

$3.00 ฿97.4

36.00%

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

$1.82 ₩2,688

$0.74 ฿24.11

145.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,954

$0.37 ฿11.88

259.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 ₩5,454

$2.44 ฿79.3

51.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 ₩8,525

$3.61 ฿117

60.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 ₩3,297

$2.26 ฿73.5

-0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 ₩5,155

$1.84 ฿59.8

90.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 ₩4,365

$2.24 ฿73.0

32.14%

Eggs

$2.97 ₩4,377

$2.32 ฿75.3

28.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 ₩15.2K

$19.67 ฿639

-47.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 ₩12.4K

$3.65 ฿119

131.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.07 ₩41.4K

$13.10 ฿426

114.27%

Apples (1kg)

$8.29 ₩12.2K

$3.39 ฿110

144.54%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 ₩4,767

$1.64 ฿53.4

97.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.28 ₩10.7K

$2.41 ฿78.5

202.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 ₩7,659

$2.03 ฿66.0

156.16%

Potato (1kg)

$5.05 ₩7,442

$1.56 ฿50.6

223.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 ₩4,468

$1.50 ฿48.66

102.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 ₩2,982

$1.02 ฿33.30

98.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,699

$0.49 ฿15.91

134.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,846

$4.45 ฿145

-26.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.69 ₩24.6K

$18.88 ฿614

-11.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₩2,497

$1.78 ฿57.7

-5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₩5,143

$2.75 ฿89.5

26.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,638

$1.40 ฿45.54

-20.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.63 ₩64.3K

$11.48 ฿373

280.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 ₩5,087

$3.12 ฿101

10.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₩1,161

$1.00 ฿32.48

-21.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.60 ₩24.5K

$14.09 ฿458

17.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₩1,727

$1.35 ฿43.93

-13.33%

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

$27.5K ₩40.5M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

1.01%

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

$24.7K ₩36.3M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-25.11%

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

$187 ₩275.2K

$125 ฿4,063

49.45%

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

$49.90 ₩73.5K

$13.57 ฿441

267.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.20 ₩40.1K

$18.52 ฿602

46.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 ₩77.4K

$61.5 ฿1,999

-14.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.38 ₩19.7K

$16.84 ฿547

-20.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.52 ₩17.0K

$9.19 ฿299

25.35%

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

$496 ₩731.4K

$698 ฿22.7K

-28.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K ₩20.5M

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-10.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₩151.4K

$57.8 ฿1,878

77.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.2 ₩97.5K

$35.24 ฿1,146

87.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 ₩131.2K

$113 ฿3,677

-21.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 ₩174.9K

$86.4 ฿2,808

37.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 ₩760.9K

$616 ฿20.0K

-16.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ₩461.8K

$446 ฿14.5K

-29.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 ₩1.5M

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-50.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 ₩986.7K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-55.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,547 ₩14.1M

$3,779 ฿122.8K

152.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,094 ₩10.5M

$2,649 ฿86.1K

167.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,452 ₩3.6M

$524 ฿17.0K

368.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.33

-20.83%

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

Last update for Busan: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $516 in Busan and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 368% 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: $37.00 in Busan vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $446 vs $292, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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 21% 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.

Busan pays 368% 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: $516 in Busan versus $616 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 280% less than in Busan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $496 in Busan versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,491 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 $1,232 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 21% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.