Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gyeongju and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeongju: $1,236 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Gyeongju
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Gyeongju Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Gyeongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,236

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,236 per month in Gyeongju vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

Gyeongju $1,236
Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $2,053 per month in Gyeongju vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

Gyeongju $2,053
Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $2,871 per month in Gyeongju vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

Gyeongju $2,871
Phuket $3,115

Gyeongju is about 4% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Gyeongju and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Gyeongju 9% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.38 ₩9,898

$4.39 ฿147

68.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.59 ₩63.8K

$32.31 ฿1,085

47.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 ₩8,652

$8.70 ฿292

-25.86%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ₩4,005

$2.72 ฿91.5

9.93%

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

$1.13 ₩1,518

$0.93 ฿31.25

21.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₩482

$0.50 ฿16.78

-28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₩3,507

$2.53 ฿85.0

3.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 ₩5,640

$3.63 ฿122

15.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 ₩3,117

$1.74 ฿58.4

33.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ₩3,394

$1.45 ฿48.73

74.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 ₩4,122

$1.50 ฿50.5

104.67%

Eggs

$2.57 ₩3,450

$2.17 ฿73.0

18.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.82 ₩14.5K

$19.09 ฿641

-43.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 ₩13.9K

$3.40 ฿114

204.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.74 ₩25.1K

$10.90 ฿366

71.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.42 ₩5,930

$2.94 ฿98.8

50.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 ₩3,577

$1.69 ฿56.8

57.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 ₩5,003

$2.19 ฿73.7

70.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 ₩4,896

$2.12 ฿71.4

72.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,406

$1.46 ฿48.99

73.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 ₩3,043

$1.37 ฿45.95

65.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₩2,921

$1.08 ฿36.14

101.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₩1,761

$0.55 ฿18.32

138.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 ₩4,556

$4.43 ฿149

-23.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 ₩20.0K

$18.25 ฿613

-18.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₩1,463

$1.77 ฿59.5

-38.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ₩2,901

$2.88 ฿96.8

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ₩1,379

$1.45 ฿48.62

-28.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 ₩4,014

$1.51 ฿50.8

98.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₩828

$0.78 ฿26.06

-20.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.01 ₩20.1K

$3.84 ฿129

290.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₩1,417

$1.49 ฿49.96

-28.86%

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

$38.5K ₩51.6M

$26.9K ฿902.9K

43.31%

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

$33.9K ₩45.5M

$26.3K ฿884.9K

28.71%

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

$79.4 ₩106.5K

$97.8 ฿3,285

-18.79%

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

$36.57 ₩49.0K

$11.29 ฿379

223.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.28 ₩36.6K

$17.19 ฿577

58.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 ₩72.9K

$68.3 ฿2,295

-20.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.33 ₩20.5K

$10.92 ฿367

40.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 ₩15.0K

$7.43 ฿250

50.74%

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

$639 ₩856.6K

$530 ฿17.8K

20.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.5M

$18.8K ฿630.9K

17.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.27 ₩59.4K

$61.7 ฿2,072

-28.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.44 ₩30.1K

$28.25 ฿949

-20.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 ₩126.0K

$96.0 ฿3,225

-2.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 ₩166.6K

$86.8 ฿2,916

43.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ₩576.0K

$721 ฿24.2K

-40.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 ₩504.7K

$509 ฿17.1K

-26.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 ₩1.5M

$1,950 ฿65.5K

-40.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$858 ₩1.2M

$1,397 ฿46.9K

-38.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,043 ₩8.1M

$4,192 ฿140.8K

44.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,003 ₩8.0M

$3,298 ฿110.8K

81.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,851 ₩2.5M

$492 ฿16.5K

276.50%

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 Gyeongju: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gyeongju

$376 30.5%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 35.2% $132

Groceries & Markets

Gyeongju

$359 29.1%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 25.7% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gyeongju

$143 11.6%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 11.9% $17

Eating Out

Gyeongju

$142 11.5%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 15.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Gyeongju

$128 10.4%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 4.3% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Gyeongju

$77 6.2%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 8.3% $6.4

Getting Around

Gyeongju

$10 * 0.8%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 548% $56

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Gyeongju versus $721 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 in Gyeongju are about 3.8 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Gyeongju versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $359 vs $267 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gyeongju

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

16:40 4:40 PM

14:40 2:40 PM

2 h behind Gyeongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

258,156

79,308

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gyeongju Phuket 4,410 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Gyeongju
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

Gyeongju vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,854 per month in Gyeongju and $1,940 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gyeongju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $430 there versus $721 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,236 in Gyeongju and $1,294 in Phuket. That makes Gyeongju about 4% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $639 per month in Gyeongju and $530 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,236 in Gyeongju and $1,294 in Phuket, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,236 in Gyeongju to $1,294 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.