Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daegu and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,569 in Daegu, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. The total is higher in Daegu despite lower rent and utilities.

76

Cost of Living Index in Daegu
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Daegu Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Daegu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,569

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Daegu 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 Daegu and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,569 per month in Daegu vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Daegu $1,569
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Daegu vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Daegu $2,402
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $3,235 per month in Daegu vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Daegu $3,235
Phuket $2,867

Daegu costs about 30% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Daegu sits 16% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 ₩12.3K

$4.58 ฿153

102.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.12 ₩49.4K

$32.48 ฿1,086

14.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ₩7,536

$8.55 ฿286

-33.68%

Cappuccino

$3.97 ₩5,284

$2.72 ฿91.0

45.96%

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

$1.56 ₩2,075

$0.94 ฿31.25

65.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₩1,202

$0.49 ฿16.39

83.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.82 ₩5,082

$2.59 ฿86.6

47.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 ₩7,204

$3.83 ฿128

41.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₩3,161

$1.74 ฿58.1

36.78%

White Bread (500g)

$4.49 ₩5,976

$1.43 ฿47.82

213.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 ₩3,541

$1.53 ฿51.0

73.86%

Eggs

$2.72 ₩3,619

$2.17 ฿72.7

25.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ₩13.7K

$19.15 ฿640

-46.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 ₩9,888

$3.30 ฿110

125.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.76 ₩27.6K

$11.14 ฿372

86.36%

Apples (1kg)

$6.59 ₩8,762

$2.95 ฿98.5

123.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 ₩3,577

$1.68 ฿56.1

60.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.72 ₩7,599

$2.30 ฿76.8

148.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 ₩7,921

$2.13 ฿71.3

179.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 ₩3,518

$1.53 ฿51.1

73.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ₩2,735

$1.36 ฿45.55

51.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.35 ₩5,789

$1.12 ฿37.44

288.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₩1,825

$0.55 ฿18.24

149.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₩3,832

$4.26 ฿142

-32.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 ₩19.8K

$18.19 ฿608

-18.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₩2,848

$1.74 ฿58.2

22.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ₩3,317

$2.79 ฿93.3

-10.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,473

$2.22 ฿74.1

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.4 ₩101.5K

$22.06 ฿737

246.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ₩4,172

$2.91 ฿97.3

7.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩811

$1.01 ฿33.79

-39.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 ₩10.7K

$3.83 ฿128

109.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₩1,775

$1.49 ฿49.85

-10.74%

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

$28.5K ₩37.9M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

6.85%

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

$41.5K ₩55.1M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

55.20%

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

$280 ₩371.6K

$99.4 ฿3,321

181.27%

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

$50.5 ₩67.1K

$11.28 ฿377

347.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.09 ₩62.6K

$17.36 ฿580

171.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ₩67.8K

$52.3 ฿1,747

-2.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 ₩15.8K

$10.85 ฿362

9.59%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$7.57 ฿253

48.75%

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

$531 ₩706.4K

$558 ฿18.7K

-4.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ₩37.1M

$11.5K ฿383.9K

142.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 ₩74.8K

$62.9 ฿2,102

-10.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 ₩66.9K

$28.58 ฿955

76.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ₩127.7K

$96.1 ฿3,213

-0.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 ₩218.5K

$88.1 ฿2,943

86.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 ₩542.1K

$729 ฿24.4K

-44.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₩363.6K

$460 ฿15.4K

-40.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 ₩1.4M

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-50.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 ₩806.7K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-50.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,125 ₩9.5M

$3,459 ฿115.6K

106.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,559 ₩7.4M

$2,489 ฿83.2K

123.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,478 ₩3.3M

$493 ฿16.5K

402.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

5.57

-8.98%

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

Last update for Daegu: 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

Daegu

$414 26.4%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 35.3% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daegu

$377 24%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 66% $249

Accommodation & Living

Daegu

$273 17.4%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 68.2% $187

Eating Out

Daegu

$179 11.4%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 32.2% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Daegu

$165 10.5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 24.9% $41

Getting Around

Daegu

$87 5.5%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 55.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Daegu

$73 4.7%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 8.2% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $408 in Daegu 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 403% higher in Daegu, 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 $37.00 in Daegu versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $268 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daegu

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

16:40 4:40 PM

14:40 2:40 PM

2 h behind Daegu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,528,933

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

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Between locations

Daegu Phuket 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Daegu
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

Daegu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,569 in Daegu, $1,207 in Phuket – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,353 per month in Daegu 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Daegu and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,569 in Daegu and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 30%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Daegu at $1,569. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Daegu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,207 in Phuket to $1,569 in Daegu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Daegu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.