Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Incheon and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,373 in Incheon, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Incheon
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Incheon Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Incheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,373

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,373 per month in Incheon vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Incheon $1,373
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $2,106 per month in Incheon vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Incheon $2,106
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $2,839 per month in Incheon vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Incheon $2,839
Phuket $2,867

Incheon costs about 14% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Incheon sits 2% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 ₩7,874

$4.58 ฿153

29.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.73 ₩46.2K

$32.48 ฿1,086

6.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.55 ₩8,703

$8.55 ฿286

-23.39%

Cappuccino

$3.75 ₩4,988

$2.72 ฿91.0

37.87%

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

$1.61 ₩2,147

$0.94 ฿31.25

71.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₩851

$0.49 ฿16.39

30.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 ₩4,544

$2.59 ฿86.6

32.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 ₩6,162

$3.83 ฿128

20.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,715

$1.74 ฿58.1

17.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,160

$1.43 ฿47.82

118.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 ₩3,109

$1.53 ฿51.0

52.94%

Eggs

$3.33 ₩4,427

$2.17 ฿72.7

53.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.51 ₩20.6K

$19.15 ฿640

-19.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.88 ₩10.5K

$3.30 ฿110

138.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.06 ₩14.7K

$11.14 ฿372

-0.72%

Apples (1kg)

$7.84 ₩10.4K

$2.95 ฿98.5

165.76%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 ₩4,206

$1.68 ฿56.1

88.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.66 ₩7,529

$2.30 ฿76.8

146.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.38 ₩8,481

$2.13 ฿71.3

199.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 ₩4,585

$1.53 ฿51.1

125.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 ₩3,213

$1.36 ฿45.55

77.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 ₩2,768

$1.12 ฿37.44

85.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,528

$0.55 ฿18.24

109.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.47 ₩4,609

$4.26 ฿142

-18.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₩25.0K

$18.19 ฿608

3.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₩2,931

$1.74 ฿58.2

26.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₩4,306

$2.79 ฿93.3

16.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ₩1,412

$2.22 ฿74.1

-52.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.53 ₩32.6K

$22.06 ฿737

11.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₩4,752

$2.91 ฿97.3

22.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩852

$1.01 ฿33.79

-36.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.24 ₩12.3K

$3.83 ฿128

141.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₩1,860

$1.49 ฿49.85

-6.04%

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

$29.0K ₩38.6M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

8.73%

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

$28.6K ₩38.0M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

6.90%

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

$209 ₩277.2K

$99.4 ฿3,321

109.82%

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

$35.24 ₩46.9K

$11.28 ฿377

212.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.80 ₩27.7K

$17.36 ฿580

19.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.40 ₩44.4K

$52.3 ฿1,747

-36.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.21 ₩50.8K

$10.85 ฿362

252.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$7.57 ฿253

48.75%

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

$295 ₩392.8K

$558 ฿18.7K

-47.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K ₩24.1M

$11.5K ฿383.9K

58.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 ₩76.0K

$62.9 ฿2,102

-9.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 ₩43.6K

$28.58 ฿955

14.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 ₩92.4K

$96.1 ฿3,213

-27.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₩112.1K

$88.1 ฿2,943

-4.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ₩812.1K

$729 ฿24.4K

-16.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₩480.1K

$460 ฿15.4K

-21.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-39.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₩921.3K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-43.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,723 ₩8.9M

$3,459 ฿115.6K

94.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,498 ₩7.3M

$2,489 ฿83.2K

120.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,411 ₩3.2M

$493 ฿16.5K

389.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.57

-26.75%

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

Last update for Incheon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Incheon

$399 29%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 32.9% $131

Accommodation & Living

Incheon

$361 26.3%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 27.4% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Incheon

$265 19.3%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 51.6% $137

Eating Out

Incheon

$147 10.7%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 17.7% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Incheon

$110 8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 13.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Incheon

$56 4.1%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 20.6% $12

Getting Around

Incheon

$36 2.6%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 9.4% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $611 in Incheon versus $729 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 run about 389% higher in Incheon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Incheon versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $268 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Incheon

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

13:15 1:15 PM

11:15 11:15 AM

2 h behind Incheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,870,545

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 19, 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 19, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Incheon Phuket 4,350 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Incheon
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

Incheon vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Incheon is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,059 per month in Incheon and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Incheon and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,373 in Incheon and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 14%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Incheon at $1,373. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Incheon 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 have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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