Cost of Living Comparison Between Gimhae and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Gimhae and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,553 in Gimhae versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,449 in Gimhae versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,345 in Gimhae versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Gimhae is roughly 26% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gimhae is 13% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.29 ₩10.1K

$4.41 ฿147

65.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.20 ₩66.8K

$32.26 ฿1,074

49.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 ₩9,419

$8.93 ฿297

-23.85%

Cappuccino

$3.63 ₩5,031

$2.90 ฿96.4

25.17%

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

$1.77 ₩2,455

$0.88 ฿29.30

101.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,922

$0.48 ฿16.01

189.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 ₩5,217

$2.35 ฿78.3

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₩5,987

$3.72 ฿124

16.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,265

$1.87 ฿62.1

26.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 ₩4,459

$1.47 ฿48.81

119.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 ₩4,435

$1.55 ฿51.7

106.45%

Eggs

$2.62 ₩3,629

$2.10 ฿70.0

24.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 ₩15.5K

$19.59 ฿652

-42.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.39 ₩14.4K

$3.42 ฿114

203.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.99 ₩34.6K

$11.38 ฿379

119.60%

Apples (1kg)

$11.31 ₩15.7K

$2.98 ฿99.3

279.53%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,886

$1.68 ฿56.1

110.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.05 ₩11.2K

$2.21 ฿73.5

264.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 ₩7,949

$2.16 ฿72.0

165.74%

Potato (1kg)

$5.91 ₩8,197

$1.52 ฿50.8

288.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.36 ₩4,660

$1.34 ฿44.55

150.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 ₩3,755

$1.13 ฿37.57

139.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₩1,854

$0.55 ฿18.19

143.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 ₩4,657

$4.26 ฿142

-21.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.27 ₩25.3K

$19.09 ฿635

-4.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₩3,266

$1.78 ฿59.2

32.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,667

$2.78 ฿92.6

21.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₩1,561

$2.23 ฿74.2

-49.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 ₩5,070

$3.03 ฿101

20.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 ₩993

$1.02 ฿34.06

-29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.44 ₩22.8K

$3.89 ฿130

322.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₩1,727

$1.49 ฿49.63

-16.11%

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

$28.9K ₩40.0M

$26.6K ฿884.9K

8.55%

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

$33.9K ₩47.0M

$27.0K ฿899.8K

25.46%

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

$198 ₩274.1K

$102 ฿3,411

93.00%

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

$36.53 ₩50.6K

$11.33 ฿377

222.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.49 ₩36.7K

$17.40 ฿579

52.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 ₩78.5K

$52.1 ฿1,734

8.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.79 ₩16.3K

$11.07 ฿369

6.50%

Cinema Ticket

$12.10 ₩16.8K

$7.69 ฿256

57.35%

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

$624 ₩864.2K

$561 ฿18.7K

11.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩30.5M

$11.5K ฿383.0K

91.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₩141.5K

$63.0 ฿2,098

61.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.0 ₩91.5K

$29.52 ฿983

123.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 ₩128.1K

$98.0 ฿3,263

-5.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 ₩173.6K

$88.5 ฿2,946

41.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ₩606.4K

$738 ฿24.6K

-40.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 ₩489.4K

$482 ฿16.1K

-26.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 ₩1.6M

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-45.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 ₩992.9K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-41.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,061 ₩9.8M

$3,617 ฿120.4K

95.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,458 ₩7.6M

$2,603 ฿86.7K

109.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,525 ₩3.5M

$494 ฿16.4K

411.52%

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: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Gimhae and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gimhae pays 412% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Gimhae vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $484 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

Gimhae vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 26% 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 runs 412% higher in Gimhae, 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: $438 in Gimhae versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Gimhae 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 Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $48.00 in Gimhae. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 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 work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gimhae 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Gimhae. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.