Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Icheon and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,599 in Icheon, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Icheon
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Icheon Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Icheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,599

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,599 per month in Icheon vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Icheon $1,599
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $2,052 per month in Icheon vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Icheon $2,052
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $2,506 per month in Icheon vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Icheon $2,506
Phuket $3,154

Icheon costs about 25% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Icheon sits 17% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.24 ₩8,370

$4.47 ฿151

39.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.61 ₩66.5K

$32.41 ฿1,092

53.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 ₩8,909

$8.81 ฿297

-24.52%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₩4,913

$2.83 ฿95.3

29.68%

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

$1.33 ₩1,785

$0.87 ฿29.37

52.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 ₩1,578

$0.49 ฿16.64

140.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.86 ₩5,171

$2.56 ฿86.2

50.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 ₩5,677

$3.68 ฿124

15.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 ₩3,074

$1.66 ฿55.9

37.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ₩4,276

$1.46 ฿49.25

118.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 ₩4,178

$1.50 ฿50.4

108.00%

Eggs

$2.65 ₩3,557

$2.09 ฿70.4

26.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 ₩15.1K

$19.07 ฿642

-40.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.73 ₩14.4K

$3.30 ฿111

225.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.00 ₩33.5K

$10.91 ฿368

129.15%

Apples (1kg)

$11.46 ₩15.4K

$2.93 ฿98.7

291.13%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,818

$1.69 ฿56.9

112.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.97 ₩10.7K

$2.25 ฿75.7

254.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.08 ₩8,153

$2.08 ฿70.0

192.31%

Potato (1kg)

$5.89 ₩7,896

$1.51 ฿50.9

290.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 ₩4,430

$1.38 ฿46.47

139.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,808

$1.07 ฿35.91

165.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₩1,801

$0.52 ฿17.49

157.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,587

$4.20 ฿142

-18.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ₩25.2K

$18.79 ฿633

-0.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 ₩3,255

$1.82 ฿61.4

33.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ₩4,623

$2.84 ฿95.7

21.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,480

$1.45 ฿48.93

-24.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,717

$3.02 ฿102

16.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₩988

$1.02 ฿34.29

-27.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 ₩23.0K

$3.69 ฿124

364.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,905

$1.47 ฿49.70

-3.40%

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

$40.4K ₩54.1M

$26.8K ฿902.4K

50.78%

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

$33.6K ₩45.1M

$26.7K ฿899.5K

25.94%

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

$205 ₩275.4K

$96.4 ฿3,247

113.26%

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

$36.50 ₩48.9K

$11.26 ฿380

224.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.50 ₩36.9K

$16.85 ฿568

63.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.67 ₩30.4K

$67.2 ฿2,266

-66.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 ₩15.4K

$7.50 ฿253

52.80%

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

$631 ₩845.3K

$476 ฿16.0K

32.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.9M

$11.3K ฿379.6K

98.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 ₩142.8K

$62.4 ฿2,102

70.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ₩86.9K

$28.41 ฿957

128.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 ₩126.2K

$94.3 ฿3,178

-0.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₩170.0K

$85.8 ฿2,892

47.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ₩1.0M

$716 ฿24.1K

6.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₩608.4K

$491 ฿16.5K

-7.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,314 ₩3.1M

$502 ฿16.9K

360.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

5.57

-29.98%

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

Last update for Icheon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Icheon

$490 30.6%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 45.7% $224

Accommodation & Living

Icheon

$454 28.4%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 8.1% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Icheon

$269 16.9%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 53.8% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Icheon

$177 11%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 31% $55

Eating Out

Icheon

$152 9.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 19.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Icheon

$46 2.9%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 80.3% $37

Getting Around

Icheon

$12 * 0.7%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 507% $59

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in Icheon versus $716 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 Icheon are about 4.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Icheon versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $490 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Icheon

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

13:25 1:25 PM

11:25 11:25 AM

2 h behind Icheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

213,059

79,308

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Icheon Phuket 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Icheon
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

Icheon vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Icheon is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,398 per month in Icheon and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $763 in Icheon and $716 in Phuket. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Icheon and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 84% more in Icheon, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Icheon at $1,599. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Icheon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Icheon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.