Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gwangju and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,341 in Gwangju, rent and utilities included – about $760 less a year. The total is higher in Gwangju despite lower rent and utilities.

64

Cost of Living Index in Gwangju
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Gwangju Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Gwangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,341

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,341 in Gwangju versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Gwangju $1,341
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,048 in Gwangju versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Gwangju $2,048
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,756 in Gwangju versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Gwangju $2,756
Phuket $3,154

Living in Gwangju is roughly 5% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gwangju 2% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.02 ₩8,080

$4.47 ฿151

34.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.32 ₩46.1K

$32.41 ฿1,094

5.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 ₩7,817

$8.81 ฿297

-33.94%

Cappuccino

$3.17 ₩4,258

$2.83 ฿95.5

12.01%

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

$1.59 ₩2,141

$0.87 ฿29.43

82.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₩848

$0.49 ฿16.67

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₩3,197

$2.56 ฿86.4

-7.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 ₩6,170

$3.68 ฿124

24.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ₩2,312

$1.66 ฿56.0

3.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 ₩3,348

$1.46 ฿49.35

70.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 ₩3,075

$1.50 ฿50.6

52.67%

Eggs

$2.64 ₩3,541

$2.09 ฿70.5

26.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$19.07 ฿644

-53.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.82 ₩10.5K

$3.30 ฿111

136.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 ₩15.0K

$10.91 ฿368

2.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₩6,934

$2.93 ฿99.0

76.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 ₩4,050

$1.69 ฿57.1

78.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 ₩5,000

$2.25 ฿75.8

65.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 ₩4,144

$2.08 ฿70.1

48.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 ₩4,835

$1.51 ฿51.0

138.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 ₩2,541

$1.38 ฿46.56

36.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 ₩2,838

$1.07 ฿35.99

97.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,725

$0.52 ฿17.52

146.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 ₩4,515

$4.20 ฿142

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 ₩15.0K

$18.79 ฿634

-40.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₩2,031

$1.82 ฿61.5

-17.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₩3,100

$2.84 ฿95.9

-18.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₩1,351

$1.45 ฿49.03

-30.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 ₩92.4K

$56.7 ฿1,913

21.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 ₩4,102

$3.02 ฿102

1.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩854

$1.02 ฿34.36

-37.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ₩10.5K

$3.69 ฿125

112.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₩1,617

$1.47 ฿49.81

-18.37%

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

$28.1K ₩37.7M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

4.81%

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

$35.2K ₩47.3M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

31.96%

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

$212 ₩284.5K

$96.4 ฿3,254

119.88%

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

$44.13 ₩59.3K

$11.26 ฿380

291.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.64 ₩27.7K

$16.85 ฿569

22.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 ₩74.3K

$67.2 ฿2,270

-17.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.36 ₩19.3K

$10.73 ฿362

33.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 ₩15.0K

$7.50 ฿253

49.33%

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

$299 ₩401.2K

$476 ฿16.1K

-37.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K ₩23.5M

$11.3K ฿380.4K

55.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.50 ₩43.6K

$62.4 ฿2,106

-47.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.36 ₩35.4K

$28.41 ฿959

-7.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.9 ₩85.8K

$94.3 ฿3,184

-32.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 ₩120.7K

$85.8 ฿2,898

4.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 ₩682.6K

$716 ฿24.2K

-28.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 ₩496.4K

$491 ฿16.6K

-24.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 ₩1.6M

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-39.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 ₩998.6K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-48.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,980 ₩10.7M

$4,175 ฿141.0K

91.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,343 ₩8.5M

$3,045 ฿102.8K

108.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,834 ₩3.8M

$502 ฿17.0K

464.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

5.57

-35.37%

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

Last update for Gwangju: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gwangju

$370 27.6%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 32.8% $121

Groceries & Markets

Gwangju

$308 23%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 13.6% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gwangju

$277 20.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 55% $152

Eating Out

Gwangju

$134 10%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 8.9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Gwangju

$96 7.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 27.4% $26

Getting Around

Gwangju

$79 5.9%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 10.8% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Gwangju

$78 5.8%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 5.8% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Gwangju and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gwangju pays about 5.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34 in Gwangju vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gwangju

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

03:32 3:32 AM

2 h behind Gwangju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,467,996

79,308

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gwangju Phuket 4,200 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Gwangju
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

Gwangju vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Gwangju is about 5.6 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: $508 in Gwangju versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $34 in Gwangju. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,341 per month in Gwangju versus $1,278 in Phuket – Phuket is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Phuket gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Gwangju 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, Gwangju on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.