Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daejeon and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,344 in Daejeon, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Daejeon despite lower rent and utilities.

66

Cost of Living Index in Daejeon
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Daejeon Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Daejeon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,344

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,344 per month in Daejeon vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Daejeon $1,344
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $2,104 per month in Daejeon vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Daejeon $2,104
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $2,865 per month in Daejeon vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Daejeon $2,865
Phuket $2,867

Daejeon costs about 11% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Daejeon sits 0% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.28 ₩9,678

$4.58 ฿153

58.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.77 ₩48.9K

$32.48 ฿1,086

13.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 ₩7,412

$8.55 ฿286

-34.85%

Cappuccino

$3.60 ₩4,784

$2.72 ฿91.0

32.35%

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

$1.22 ₩1,622

$0.94 ฿31.25

29.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₩859

$0.49 ฿16.39

32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 ₩4,659

$2.59 ฿86.6

35.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ₩4,917

$3.83 ฿128

-3.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ₩2,900

$1.74 ฿58.1

25.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 ₩3,542

$1.43 ฿47.82

86.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 ₩3,514

$1.53 ฿51.0

72.55%

Eggs

$2.55 ₩3,385

$2.17 ฿72.7

17.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 ₩14.5K

$19.15 ฿640

-42.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 ₩11.0K

$3.30 ฿110

149.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.43 ₩27.2K

$11.14 ฿372

83.39%

Apples (1kg)

$11.12 ₩14.8K

$2.95 ฿98.5

276.95%

Banana (1kg)

$5.49 ₩7,300

$1.68 ฿56.1

226.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,732

$2.30 ฿76.8

152.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.07 ₩8,072

$2.13 ฿71.3

184.98%

Potato (1kg)

$5.34 ₩7,102

$1.53 ฿51.1

249.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 ₩3,744

$1.36 ฿45.55

107.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ₩2,273

$1.12 ฿37.44

52.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,510

$0.55 ฿18.24

107.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,426

$4.26 ฿142

-21.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 ₩25.1K

$18.19 ฿608

3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₩3,393

$1.74 ฿58.2

46.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₩4,712

$2.79 ฿93.3

26.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,456

$2.22 ฿74.1

-50.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.09 ₩14.7K

$22.06 ฿737

-49.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 ₩4,398

$2.91 ฿97.3

13.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 ₩950

$1.01 ฿33.79

-29.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.82 ₩22.4K

$3.83 ฿128

339.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₩1,638

$1.49 ฿49.85

-17.45%

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

$28.5K ₩37.8M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

6.65%

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

$23.7K ₩31.6M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-11.13%

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

$172 ₩228.4K

$99.4 ฿3,321

72.89%

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

$42.96 ₩57.1K

$11.28 ฿377

280.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 ₩29.5K

$17.36 ฿580

27.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.10 ₩44.0K

$52.3 ฿1,747

-36.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$7.57 ฿253

49.41%

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

$304 ₩403.8K

$558 ฿18.7K

-45.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ₩29.1M

$11.5K ฿383.9K

90.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 ₩85.8K

$62.9 ฿2,102

2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 ₩55.7K

$28.58 ฿955

46.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 ₩122.8K

$96.1 ฿3,213

-3.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₩142.0K

$88.1 ฿2,943

21.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₩490.2K

$729 ฿24.4K

-49.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ₩391.3K

$460 ฿15.4K

-36.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 ₩1.4M

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-50.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ₩788.5K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-51.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,547 ₩7.4M

$3,459 ฿115.6K

60.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,546 ₩6.0M

$2,489 ฿83.2K

82.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,336 ₩3.1M

$493 ฿16.5K

373.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

5.57

-34.47%

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

Last update for Daejeon: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Daejeon

$446 33.2%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 40.1% $179

Accommodation & Living

Daejeon

$294 21.9%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 56.3% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daejeon

$237 17.6%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 46% $109

Eating Out

Daejeon

$151 11.2%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 19.4% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Daejeon

$138 10.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 9.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Daejeon

$56 4.2%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 21% $12

Getting Around

Daejeon

$22 1.7%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 74% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $369 in Daejeon 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 374% higher in Daejeon, 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 Daejeon versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $446 vs $268 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daejeon

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

13:19 1:19 PM

11:19 11:19 AM

2 h behind Daejeon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,537,324

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

Daejeon Phuket 4,320 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Daejeon
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

Daejeon vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Daejeon costs about 11% 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 $2,016 per month in Daejeon 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 $1,344 in Daejeon and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 11%.

Public transport costs about 99% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Daejeon at $1,344. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Daejeon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,207 versus $1,344 in Daejeon. 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, Daejeon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.