Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gyeonggi and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeonggi: $1,072 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Phuket despite lower rent and utilities.

71

Cost of Living Index in Gyeonggi
Learn more

Gyeonggi Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Gyeonggi

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,072

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,072 in Gyeonggi versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Gyeonggi $1,072
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,079 in Gyeonggi versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Gyeonggi $2,079
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,085 in Gyeonggi versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Gyeonggi $3,085
Phuket $2,867

Living in Gyeonggi costs roughly 11% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gyeonggi 21% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.53 ₩10.0K

$4.58 ฿153

64.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₩80.6K

$32.48 ฿1,086

86.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 ₩7,975

$8.55 ฿286

-29.82%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₩5,180

$2.72 ฿91.0

43.38%

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

$1.22 ₩1,625

$0.94 ฿31.25

29.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₩903

$0.49 ฿16.39

38.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 ₩4,610

$2.59 ฿86.6

33.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ₩3,890

$3.83 ฿128

-23.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ₩2,334

$1.74 ฿58.1

1.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

Apples (1kg)

$11.17 ₩14.9K

$2.95 ฿98.5

278.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.82 ₩5,084

$1.68 ฿56.1

127.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.70 ₩10.2K

$2.30 ฿76.8

234.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ₩4,087

$2.91 ฿97.3

5.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₩775

$1.01 ฿33.79

-42.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₩1,945

$1.49 ฿49.85

-2.01%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

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

$186 ₩247.8K

$99.4 ฿3,321

87.55%

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

$40.40 ₩53.7K

$11.28 ฿377

258.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.83 ₩29.0K

$17.36 ฿580

25.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 ₩74.9K

$52.3 ฿1,747

7.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$10.32 ₩13.7K

$7.57 ฿253

36.33%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.4K

$62.9 ฿2,102

-6.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 ₩55.9K

$28.58 ฿955

47.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 ₩114.8K

$96.1 ฿3,213

-10.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 ₩707.0K

$729 ฿24.4K

-27.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ₩496.5K

$460 ฿15.4K

-18.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ₩2.8M

$2,096 ฿70.0K

0.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 ₩2.0M

$1,222 ฿40.8K

22.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,244 ₩3.0M

$493 ฿16.5K

355.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.57

-37.16%

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

Last update for Gyeonggi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gyeonggi

$373 34.8%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 23.2% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gyeonggi

$249 23.2%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 48.5% $121

Eating Out

Gyeonggi

$156 14.5%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 22.1% $34

Groceries & Markets

Gyeonggi

$127 * 11.9%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 110% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Gyeonggi

$84 * 7.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 47.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Gyeonggi

$77 7.2%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 12.4% $9.5

Getting Around

Gyeonggi

$6 * 0.6%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 549% $33

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 $532 in Gyeonggi and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gyeonggi pays 355% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Gyeonggi vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $127 vs $268, with Gyeonggi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gyeonggi

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

08:24 8:24 AM

06:24 6:24 AM

2 h behind Gyeonggi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,234,582

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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gyeonggi Phuket 4,360 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Gyeonggi
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

Gyeonggi vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gyeonggi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 355% higher in Gyeonggi, 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: $532 in Gyeonggi versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 110% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gyeonggi – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,072 in Gyeonggi versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gyeonggi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Gyeonggi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gyeonggi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gyeonggi 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 Gyeonggi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.