Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheonan and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,467 in Cheonan, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Cheonan
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Cheonan Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Cheonan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,467

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cheonan and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cheonan and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,467 per month in Cheonan vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Cheonan $1,467
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $2,259 per month in Cheonan vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Cheonan $2,259
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $3,051 per month in Cheonan vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Cheonan $3,051
Phuket $2,867

Cheonan costs about 21% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cheonan sits 9% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.53 ₩10.0K

$4.58 ฿153

64.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.63 ₩30.1K

$32.48 ฿1,086

-30.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.28 ₩5,693

$8.55 ฿286

-49.94%

Cappuccino

$1.47 ₩1,951

$2.72 ฿91.0

-45.96%

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

$1.16 ₩1,538

$0.94 ฿31.25

23.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 ₩1,867

$0.49 ฿16.39

185.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 ₩3,031

$2.59 ฿86.6

-11.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₩5,853

$3.83 ฿128

14.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₩2,125

$1.74 ฿58.1

-8.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 ₩4,287

$1.43 ฿47.82

125.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 ₩4,078

$1.53 ฿51.0

100.65%

Eggs

$2.61 ₩3,476

$2.17 ฿72.7

20.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 ₩14.9K

$19.15 ฿640

-41.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₩13.8K

$3.30 ฿110

214.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.11 ₩33.4K

$11.14 ฿372

125.40%

Apples (1kg)

$11.23 ₩14.9K

$2.95 ฿98.5

280.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.73 ₩4,965

$1.68 ฿56.1

122.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.07 ₩10.7K

$2.30 ฿76.8

250.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.04 ₩8,035

$2.13 ฿71.3

183.57%

Potato (1kg)

$6.10 ₩8,106

$1.53 ฿51.1

298.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 ₩4,438

$1.36 ฿45.55

145.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 ₩3,651

$1.12 ฿37.44

145.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,765

$0.55 ฿18.24

141.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₩4,494

$4.26 ฿142

-20.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.30 ₩24.3K

$18.19 ฿608

0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 ₩3,229

$1.74 ฿58.2

39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ₩4,454

$2.79 ฿93.3

20.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,509

$2.22 ฿74.1

-48.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 ₩4,050

$2.91 ฿97.3

4.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,036

$1.01 ฿33.79

-22.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.69 ₩22.2K

$3.83 ฿128

335.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₩1,650

$1.49 ฿49.85

-16.78%

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

$29.7K ₩39.5M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

11.48%

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

$34.2K ₩45.5M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

28.07%

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

$199 ₩264.9K

$99.4 ฿3,321

100.46%

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

$35.67 ₩47.4K

$11.28 ฿377

216.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.08 ₩36.0K

$17.36 ฿580

55.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩68.6K

$52.3 ฿1,747

-1.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.77 ₩15.6K

$10.85 ฿362

8.48%

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 ₩16.1K

$7.57 ฿253

60.24%

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

$636 ₩845.7K

$558 ฿18.7K

13.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K ₩28.6M

$11.5K ฿383.9K

87.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 ₩88.0K

$62.9 ฿2,102

5.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 ₩79.1K

$28.58 ฿955

108.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 ₩123.1K

$96.1 ฿3,213

-3.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₩168.9K

$88.1 ฿2,943

44.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 ₩636.1K

$729 ฿24.4K

-34.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₩479.5K

$460 ฿15.4K

-21.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 ₩1.5M

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-45.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 ₩982.3K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-39.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,244 ₩9.6M

$3,459 ฿115.6K

109.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,422 ₩7.2M

$2,489 ฿83.2K

117.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,824 ₩2.4M

$493 ฿16.5K

269.96%

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 Cheonan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Cheonan

$480 32.8%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 44.3% $213

Accommodation & Living

Cheonan

$361 24.6%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 27.5% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cheonan

$262 17.9%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 51.1% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Cheonan

$155 10.6%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 20.2% $31

Eating Out

Cheonan

$121 8.3%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Cheonan

$76 5.2%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 11.1% $8.4

Getting Around

Cheonan

$11 * 0.8%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 239% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $478 in Cheonan versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 270% higher in Cheonan, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Cheonan versus $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $480 in Cheonan vs $268 in Phuket – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Cheonan

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

02:00 2:00 AM

2 h behind Cheonan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

658,486

79,308

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cheonan Phuket 4,330 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cheonan
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Cheonan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheonan costs about 21% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,200 per month in Cheonan and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,467 in Cheonan and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 21%.

Kindergarten costs $636 per month in Cheonan and $558 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Cheonan at $1,467. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cheonan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,207 versus $1,467 in Cheonan. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cheonan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.