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: $1,494 in Busan versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,332 in Busan versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,171 in Busan versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Busan is roughly 18% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busan is 11% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 ₩11.1K

$4.56 ฿149

60.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.36 ₩56.7K

$46.63 ฿1,519

-19.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 ₩9,003

$8.47 ฿276

-29.99%

Cappuccino

$4.00 ₩6,070

$3.03 ฿98.6

32.01%

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

$1.88 ₩2,852

$0.69 ฿22.45

172.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩2,021

$0.37 ฿11.92

259.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩5,520

$2.49 ฿81.0

46.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 ₩8,993

$3.66 ฿119

61.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 ₩3,574

$2.18 ฿71.0

7.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 ₩5,427

$1.90 ฿62.0

87.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 ₩4,766

$2.20 ฿71.6

42.73%

Eggs

$2.86 ₩4,345

$2.22 ฿72.4

28.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.58 ₩16.1K

$19.99 ฿651

-47.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 ₩12.8K

$3.66 ฿119

130.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.75 ₩42.1K

$13.25 ฿432

109.43%

Apples (1kg)

$8.37 ₩12.7K

$3.23 ฿105

159.13%

Banana (1kg)

$3.23 ₩4,898

$1.70 ฿55.3

90.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.55 ₩11.5K

$2.39 ฿78.0

215.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.27 ₩8,006

$2.08 ฿67.7

153.37%

Potato (1kg)

$5.10 ₩7,738

$1.59 ฿51.8

220.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 ₩4,632

$1.48 ฿48.31

106.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 ₩3,093

$1.03 ฿33.54

98.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₩1,827

$0.52 ฿16.83

130.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩5,008

$4.25 ฿138

-22.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 ₩24.5K

$18.79 ฿612

-14.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₩2,689

$1.76 ฿57.2

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 ₩5,056

$2.76 ฿89.8

20.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₩1,714

$1.36 ฿44.32

-16.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.01 ₩66.8K

$11.36 ฿370

287.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 ₩5,313

$3.14 ฿102

11.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₩1,281

$1.04 ฿33.74

-19.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 ₩25.0K

$13.77 ฿448

19.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ₩1,756

$1.34 ฿43.79

-13.43%

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

$28.0K ₩42.5M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

1.03%

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

$25.3K ₩38.4M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-25.27%

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

$186 ₩282.7K

$124 ฿4,025

50.64%

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

$50.8 ₩77.1K

$13.52 ฿440

275.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.96 ₩42.5K

$18.69 ฿609

49.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.4 ₩79.6K

$61.8 ฿2,013

-15.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.20 ₩20.0K

$17.25 ฿562

-23.48%

Cinema Ticket

$11.17 ₩17.0K

$9.14 ฿298

22.21%

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

$489 ₩743.0K

$703 ฿22.9K

-30.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K ₩21.8M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-9.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₩155.7K

$59.5 ฿1,937

72.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.2 ₩99.0K

$35.07 ฿1,142

85.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 ₩131.5K

$115 ฿3,754

-24.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ₩178.2K

$84.1 ฿2,737

39.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₩759.8K

$619 ฿20.1K

-19.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 ₩491.7K

$433 ฿14.1K

-25.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 ₩1.5M

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-51.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 ₩1.0M

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-55.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,714 ₩14.8M

$3,646 ฿118.7K

166.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,961 ₩10.6M

$2,626 ฿85.5K

165.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,396 ₩3.6M

$507 ฿16.5K

372.55%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Busan and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 373% 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 $450 vs $293, 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 18% 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 373% 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: $500 in Busan versus $619 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 287% less than in Busan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $489 in Busan versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,494 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 $1,261 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 18% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.