Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilsan and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,451 in Ilsan, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Ilsan despite lower rent and utilities.

69

Cost of Living Index in Ilsan
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Ilsan Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Ilsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,451

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,451 in Ilsan versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Ilsan $1,451
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ilsan versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Ilsan $2,327
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,204 in Ilsan versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Ilsan $3,204
Phuket $3,154

Living in Ilsan is roughly 14% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ilsan is 7% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.71 ₩10.3K

$4.47 ฿151

72.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 ₩89.9K

$32.41 ฿1,092

106.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$8.81 ฿297

-13.05%

Cappuccino

$4.02 ₩5,386

$2.83 ฿95.3

42.05%

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

$1.63 ₩2,191

$0.87 ฿29.37

87.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,054

$0.49 ฿16.64

61.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,005

$2.56 ฿86.2

45.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 ₩8,202

$3.68 ฿124

66.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ₩2,849

$1.66 ฿55.9

28.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 ₩4,057

$1.46 ฿49.25

107.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₩3,014

$1.50 ฿50.4

50.00%

Eggs

$3.38 ₩4,535

$2.09 ฿70.4

61.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 ₩21.5K

$19.07 ฿642

-15.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 ₩10.5K

$3.30 ฿111

136.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ₩15.2K

$10.91 ฿368

4.22%

Apples (1kg)

$7.74 ₩10.4K

$2.93 ฿98.7

164.16%

Banana (1kg)

$3.31 ₩4,440

$1.69 ฿56.9

95.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.66 ₩7,581

$2.25 ฿75.7

151.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.25 ₩8,382

$2.08 ฿70.0

200.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 ₩4,647

$1.51 ฿50.9

129.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 ₩3,241

$1.38 ฿46.47

75.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 ₩2,737

$1.07 ฿35.91

90.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₩1,471

$0.52 ฿17.49

111.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,465

$4.20 ฿142

-20.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₩25.2K

$18.79 ฿633

0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₩2,975

$1.82 ฿61.4

21.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₩4,342

$2.84 ฿95.7

14.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,476

$1.45 ฿48.93

-24.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.46 ₩66.3K

$56.7 ฿1,909

-12.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 ₩4,848

$3.02 ฿102

19.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₩893

$1.02 ฿34.29

-34.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 ₩12.2K

$3.69 ฿124

146.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,806

$1.47 ฿49.70

-8.16%

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

$30.1K ₩40.3M

$26.8K ฿902.4K

12.39%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$26.7K ฿899.5K

5.71%

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

$213 ₩286.0K

$96.4 ฿3,247

121.42%

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

$35.99 ₩48.2K

$11.26 ฿380

219.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.31 ₩28.6K

$16.85 ฿568

26.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ₩73.8K

$67.2 ฿2,266

-18.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.03 ₩18.8K

$10.73 ฿361

30.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 ₩15.3K

$7.50 ฿253

51.87%

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

$380 ₩509.2K

$476 ฿16.0K

-20.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ₩23.8M

$11.3K ฿379.6K

57.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ₩79.4K

$62.4 ฿2,102

-4.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.99 ₩44.2K

$28.41 ฿957

16.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 ₩95.1K

$94.3 ฿3,178

-24.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ₩112.3K

$85.8 ฿2,892

-2.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 ₩660.5K

$716 ฿24.1K

-31.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₩479.1K

$491 ฿16.5K

-27.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 ₩1.6M

$1,927 ฿64.9K

-39.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 ₩1.0M

$1,431 ฿48.2K

-47.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,170 ₩9.6M

$4,175 ฿140.7K

71.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,436 ₩7.3M

$3,045 ฿102.6K

78.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,539 ₩4.7M

$502 ฿16.9K

604.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

5.57

-26.39%

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

Last update for Ilsan: 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

Ilsan

$400 27.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 33.4% $133

Accommodation & Living

Ilsan

$357 24.6%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 37.3% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilsan

$271 18.7%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 54% $146

Eating Out

Ilsan

$173 12%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 29.8% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Ilsan

$111 7.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 9.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Ilsan

$78 5.4%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 5.6% $4.4

Getting Around

Ilsan

$61 4.2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 16.1% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $493 in Ilsan and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilsan pays about 7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Ilsan vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Ilsan

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

12:51 12:51 PM

2 h behind Ilsan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,061,752

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ilsan Phuket 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ilsan
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

Ilsan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Ilsan is about 7 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: $493 in Ilsan versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,451 per month in Ilsan versus $1,278 in Phuket – Phuket is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ilsan runs roughly 13% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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