Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheongju and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheongju and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,218 in Cheongju versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,083 in Cheongju versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,948 in Cheongju versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Cheongju costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cheongju 11% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.52 ₩10.4K

$4.41 ฿147

70.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.15 ₩67.7K

$32.26 ฿1,077

52.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.08 ₩8,385

$8.93 ฿298

-31.91%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ₩5,122

$2.90 ฿96.6

28.28%

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

$1.79 ₩2,470

$0.88 ฿29.38

103.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ₩1,969

$0.48 ฿16.06

197.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 ₩5,185

$2.35 ฿78.5

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 ₩5,799

$3.72 ฿124

13.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ₩2,842

$1.87 ฿62.3

10.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 ₩4,334

$1.47 ฿48.94

113.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 ₩2,608

$1.55 ฿51.8

21.94%

Eggs

$2.20 ₩3,031

$2.10 ฿70.1

4.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.79 ₩14.9K

$19.59 ฿654

-44.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 ₩14.6K

$3.42 ฿114

210.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.05 ₩20.7K

$11.38 ฿380

32.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 ₩4,166

$2.98 ฿99.6

1.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 ₩4,128

$1.68 ฿56.2

78.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.32 ₩10.1K

$2.21 ฿73.7

231.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 ₩8,197

$2.16 ฿72.1

175.46%

Potato (1kg)

$5.78 ₩7,966

$1.52 ฿50.9

280.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,591

$1.34 ฿44.67

148.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 ₩3,816

$1.13 ฿37.67

145.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₩649

$0.55 ฿18.24

-14.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ₩4,735

$4.26 ฿142

-19.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 ₩20.8K

$19.09 ฿637

-20.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₩2,511

$1.78 ฿59.4

2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,142

$2.78 ฿92.9

-17.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,546

$2.23 ฿74.4

-49.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 ₩3,584

$3.03 ฿101

-14.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 ₩974

$1.02 ฿34.15

-30.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.54 ₩22.8K

$3.89 ฿130

325.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₩1,813

$1.49 ฿49.77

-11.41%

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

$29.1K ₩40.1M

$26.6K ฿887.3K

9.36%

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

$33.1K ₩45.6M

$27.0K ฿902.2K

22.41%

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

$198 ₩272.5K

$102 ฿3,420

92.94%

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

$24.07 ₩33.2K

$11.33 ฿378

112.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.80 ₩20.4K

$17.40 ฿581

-14.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 ₩75.4K

$52.1 ฿1,738

5.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.74 ₩16.2K

$11.07 ฿370

6.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.56 ₩10.4K

$7.69 ฿257

-1.69%

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

$631 ₩869.9K

$561 ฿18.7K

12.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩30.1M

$11.5K ฿384.1K

89.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.94 ₩50.9K

$63.0 ฿2,104

-41.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.6 ₩90.3K

$29.52 ฿986

122.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 ₩127.7K

$98.0 ฿3,272

-5.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₩155.6K

$88.5 ฿2,954

27.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 ₩387.1K

$738 ฿24.6K

-61.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ₩294.7K

$482 ฿16.1K

-55.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 ₩1.6M

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-46.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$734 ₩1.0M

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-40.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,177 ₩9.9M

$3,617 ฿120.7K

98.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,449 ₩7.5M

$2,603 ฿86.9K

109.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,579 ₩3.6M

$494 ฿16.5K

422.57%

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 Cheongju: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Cheongju and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 423% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Cheongju vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $274 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

Cheongju vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheongju wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cheongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 423% higher in Cheongju, 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: $281 in Cheongju versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $631 in Cheongju versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cheongju – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,218 in Cheongju versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cheongju but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cheongju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cheongju delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,218 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cheongju hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cheongju 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 Cheongju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.