Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gimhae and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $1,553 in Gimhae, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. The total is higher in Gimhae despite lower rent and utilities.

74

Cost of Living Index in Gimhae
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Gimhae Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Gimhae

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,553

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,553 in Gimhae versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Gimhae $1,553
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,462 in Gimhae versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Gimhae $2,462
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,371 in Gimhae versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Gimhae $3,371
Phuket $3,115

Living in Gimhae is roughly 20% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gimhae is 15% above, Phuket is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 ₩10.2K

$4.39 ฿147

73.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.21 ₩66.0K

$32.31 ฿1,085

52.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 ₩8,970

$8.70 ฿292

-23.10%

Cappuccino

$3.76 ₩5,037

$2.72 ฿91.5

38.24%

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

$1.87 ₩2,510

$0.93 ฿31.25

101.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,865

$0.50 ฿16.78

178.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 ₩5,041

$2.53 ฿85.0

48.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 ₩5,882

$3.63 ฿122

20.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₩3,102

$1.74 ฿58.4

32.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 ₩4,344

$1.45 ฿48.73

123.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 ₩4,093

$1.50 ฿50.5

103.33%

Eggs

$2.61 ₩3,504

$2.17 ฿73.0

20.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.9K

$19.09 ฿641

-41.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 ₩14.1K

$3.40 ฿114

208.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.45 ₩32.8K

$10.90 ฿366

124.31%

Apples (1kg)

$10.94 ₩14.7K

$2.94 ฿98.8

272.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 ₩4,758

$1.69 ฿56.8

110.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.18 ₩11.0K

$2.19 ฿73.7

273.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.84 ₩7,826

$2.12 ฿71.4

175.47%

Potato (1kg)

$6.03 ₩8,079

$1.46 ฿48.99

313.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 ₩4,415

$1.37 ฿45.95

140.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 ₩3,686

$1.08 ฿36.14

154.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,785

$0.55 ฿18.32

141.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 ₩4,373

$4.43 ฿149

-26.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.65 ₩25.0K

$18.25 ฿613

2.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₩3,174

$1.77 ฿59.5

33.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$2.88 ฿96.8

22.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₩1,621

$1.45 ฿48.62

-16.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 ₩4,653

$1.51 ฿50.8

129.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₩895

$0.78 ฿26.06

-14.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.75 ₩19.8K

$3.84 ฿129

284.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₩1,707

$1.49 ฿49.96

-14.77%

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

$39.7K ₩53.2M

$26.9K ฿902.9K

47.51%

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

$33.4K ₩44.8M

$26.3K ฿884.9K

26.88%

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

$195 ₩261.8K

$97.8 ฿3,285

99.63%

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

$36.82 ₩49.4K

$11.29 ฿379

226.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.09 ₩36.3K

$17.19 ฿577

57.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.27 ₩62.0K

$68.3 ฿2,295

-32.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.19 ₩20.4K

$10.92 ฿367

39.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 ₩16.0K

$7.43 ฿250

60.70%

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

$630 ₩844.4K

$530 ฿17.8K

18.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩29.2M

$18.8K ฿630.9K

15.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₩137.1K

$61.7 ฿2,072

65.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.2K

$28.25 ฿949

130.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 ₩125.9K

$96.0 ฿3,225

-2.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₩169.9K

$86.8 ฿2,916

45.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 ₩676.3K

$721 ฿24.2K

-30.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 ₩519.8K

$509 ฿17.1K

-23.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 ₩1.6M

$1,950 ฿65.5K

-38.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₩1.1M

$1,397 ฿46.9K

-42.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,801 ₩10.5M

$4,192 ฿140.8K

86.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,673 ₩7.6M

$3,298 ฿110.8K

71.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,533 ₩3.4M

$492 ฿16.5K

415.32%

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 Gimhae: November 3, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gimhae

$483 31.1%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 44.8% $216

Accommodation & Living

Gimhae

$388 25%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 31.2% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gimhae

$259 16.7%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 51.3% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Gimhae

$175 11.2%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 29.7% $52

Eating Out

Gimhae

$167 10.7%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 28.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Gimhae

$70 4.5%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 18.6% $13

Getting Around

Gimhae

$12 * 0.8%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 467% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in Gimhae and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gimhae pays about 5.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Gimhae vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $483 vs $267 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gimhae

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

13:45 1:45 PM

11:45 11:45 AM

2 h behind Gimhae

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

532,132

79,308

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,509 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Gimhae Phuket 4,350 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Gimhae
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

Gimhae vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Gimhae. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Gimhae is about 5.2 times higher, 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: $505 in Gimhae versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $630 in Gimhae versus $530 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $49 in Gimhae. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,553 in Gimhae, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Gimhae. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Gimhae and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Gimhae on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.