Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeonju and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeonju and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Jeonju versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,913 in Jeonju versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,582 in Jeonju versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Jeonju costs roughly 2% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jeonju 7% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 ₩9,690

$4.66 ฿150

40.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.84 ₩41.2K

$46.44 ฿1,496

-40.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.23 ₩7,735

$8.68 ฿280

-39.75%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ₩5,502

$2.95 ฿95.0

26.10%

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

$1.07 ₩1,588

$0.70 ฿22.52

52.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₩992

$0.39 ฿12.70

71.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 ₩2,868

$2.53 ฿81.6

-23.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ₩4,463

$3.78 ฿122

-20.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₩2,957

$2.22 ฿71.5

-9.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 ₩3,294

$1.80 ฿57.8

23.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 ₩4,538

$2.19 ฿70.4

40.18%

Eggs

$2.95 ₩4,365

$2.31 ฿74.5

27.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.52 ₩15.5K

$19.34 ฿623

-45.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 ₩12.3K

$3.77 ฿121

121.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.69 ₩40.9K

$13.22 ฿426

109.46%

Apples (1kg)

$8.49 ₩12.5K

$3.33 ฿107

154.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.27 ₩4,836

$1.65 ฿53.1

98.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.28 ₩10.8K

$2.29 ฿73.7

217.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.31 ₩7,846

$1.99 ฿64.1

166.83%

Potato (1kg)

$5.00 ₩7,399

$1.53 ฿49.24

226.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 ₩4,386

$1.51 ฿48.77

96.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 ₩3,111

$1.03 ฿33.12

103.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,713

$0.51 ฿16.57

127.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 ₩4,796

$4.41 ฿142

-26.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ₩24.5K

$19.41 ฿625

-14.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₩2,587

$1.80 ฿58.0

-2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₩4,884

$2.68 ฿86.4

23.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,628

$1.43 ฿46.11

-23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 ₩5,121

$3.04 ฿97.9

13.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₩1,245

$1.04 ฿33.37

-19.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.82 ₩24.9K

$13.68 ฿441

22.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₩1,776

$1.30 ฿41.85

-7.69%

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

$27.7K ₩40.9M

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-0.87%

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

$25.3K ₩37.4M

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-23.40%

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

$190 ₩280.3K

$123 ฿3,962

54.20%

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

$50.1 ₩74.1K

$13.82 ฿445

262.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.84 ₩32.3K

$18.86 ฿608

15.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.36 ₩70.0K

$61.2 ฿1,970

-22.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 ₩12.8K

$8.87 ฿286

-2.37%

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

$486 ₩718.3K

$696 ฿22.4K

-30.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K ₩20.9M

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-12.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.53 ₩43.7K

$59.3 ฿1,910

-50.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.99 ₩71.0K

$34.85 ฿1,123

37.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.2 ₩97.8K

$113 ฿3,646

-41.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ₩173.7K

$85.1 ฿2,740

38.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 ₩417.6K

$615 ฿19.8K

-54.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 ₩330.0K

$448 ฿14.4K

-50.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$561 ₩828.7K

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-73.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₩684.2K

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-69.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.33

-20.83%

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

Last update for Jeonju: April 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in Jeonju and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28 in Jeonju vs $46 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $432 vs $291, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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

Jeonju vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeonju is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,866 in Jeonju and $1,904 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $282 in Jeonju versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $486 in Jeonju versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jeonju – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,244 in Jeonju versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeonju but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Jeonju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jeonju is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Jeonju and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Jeonju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.