Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeju and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,118 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Phuket despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,118

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,118 per month in Jeju vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Jeju $1,118
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Jeju vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Jeju $1,917
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $2,715 per month in Jeju vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Jeju $2,715
Phuket $3,154

Jeju is about 13% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jeju and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Jeju 18% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 ₩9,784

$4.47 ฿151

63.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 ₩69.2K

$32.41 ฿1,093

60.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ₩7,495

$8.81 ฿297

-36.32%

Cappuccino

$5.87 ₩7,834

$2.83 ฿95.4

107.42%

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

$2.19 ₩2,924

$0.87 ฿29.41

151.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₩2,753

$0.49 ฿16.65

320.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ₩5,245

$2.56 ฿86.3

53.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₩4,102

$3.68 ฿124

-16.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,017

$1.66 ฿55.9

36.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 ₩3,079

$1.46 ฿49.31

58.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₩3,085

$1.50 ฿50.5

54.00%

Eggs

$2.62 ₩3,498

$2.09 ฿70.5

25.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ₩2,940

$1.69 ฿57.0

30.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 ₩3,960

$1.51 ฿51.0

96.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₩2,496

$1.38 ฿46.52

35.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 ₩3,038

$1.07 ฿35.96

113.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₩624

$0.52 ฿17.51

-9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 ₩15.3K

$18.79 ฿634

-38.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₩2,465

$1.82 ฿61.5

1.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₩2,295

$2.84 ฿95.8

-39.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 ₩1,321

$1.45 ฿48.98

-31.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₩1,835

$1.47 ฿49.76

-6.80%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

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

$214 ₩285.7K

$96.4 ฿3,251

122.11%

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

$54.0 ₩72.0K

$11.26 ฿380

379.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.65 ₩26.2K

$16.85 ฿568

16.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K ₩33.8M

$11.3K ฿380.0K

124.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₩70.3K

$62.4 ฿2,104

-15.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.78 ₩39.8K

$28.41 ฿958

4.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 ₩88.9K

$94.3 ฿3,181

-29.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ₩121.2K

$85.8 ฿2,895

5.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₩615.2K

$716 ฿24.2K

-35.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 ₩518.2K

$491 ฿16.6K

-20.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 ₩1.8M

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-28.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 ₩1.6M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-16.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K ₩14.4M

$4,175 ฿140.9K

157.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,659 ₩8.9M

$3,045 ฿102.7K

118.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,883 ₩2.5M

$502 ฿16.9K

274.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Jeju: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jeju

–

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Groceries & Markets

Jeju

–

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jeju

–

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Jeju

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Eating Out

Jeju

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Jeju

–

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Getting Around

Jeju

–

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $461 in Jeju 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 Jeju are about 3.7 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 $52 in Jeju versus $32 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $142 in Jeju vs $266 in Phuket – so Jeju wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Jeju

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

02:17 2:17 AM

00:17 12:17 AM

2 h behind Jeju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

469,279

79,308

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jeju Phuket 4,060 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Jeju
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

Jeju vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,677 per month in Jeju and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jeju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $461 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Groceries cost about 88% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Jeju and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,118 in Jeju and $1,278 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 $1,118 in Jeju to $1,278 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.