Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ongjin and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Ongjin: $711 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Ongjin
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Ongjin Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Ongjin

🇰🇵 North Korea

$711

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $711 in Ongjin versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Ongjin $711
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,113 in Ongjin versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Ongjin $1,113
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,514 in Ongjin versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Ongjin $1,514
Phuket $2,867

Living in Ongjin costs roughly 41% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ongjin 47% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 $2.71

$4.58 ฿153

-40.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.81 $22.81

$32.48 ฿1,086

-29.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 $8.04

$8.55 ฿286

-5.96%

Cappuccino

$1.13 $1.13

$2.72 ฿91.0

-58.46%

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

$0.94 $0.94

$0.94 ฿31.25

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.49 ฿16.39

102.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 $6.89

$2.59 ฿86.6

166.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.83 ฿128

-43.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.74 ฿58.1

-47.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.43 ฿47.82

10.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.53 ฿51.0

41.18%

Eggs

$3.13 $3.13

$2.17 ฿72.7

44.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$19.15 ฿640

-76.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.30 ฿110

-32.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$11.14 ฿372

-49.37%

Apples (1kg)

$6.77 $6.77

$2.95 ฿98.5

129.49%

Banana (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$1.68 ฿56.1

172.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.30 ฿76.8

-2.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.13 ฿71.3

3.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.53 ฿51.1

113.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.36 ฿45.55

153.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.12 ฿37.44

101.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 $0.46

$0.55 ฿18.24

-16.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 $4.41

$4.26 ฿142

3.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 $7.99

$18.19 ฿608

-56.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.74 ฿58.2

-36.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.79 ฿93.3

-20.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.22 ฿74.1

-56.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.70 $39.70

$22.06 ฿737

79.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.91 ฿97.3

-47.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.01 ฿33.79

124.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.99 $39.99

$3.83 ฿128

944.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.49 ฿49.85

-53.02%

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

$22.1K $22.1K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-17.05%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

4.38%

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

$33.24 $33.24

$99.4 ฿3,321

-66.55%

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

$11.00 $11.00

$11.28 ฿377

-2.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.10 $45.10

$17.36 ฿580

159.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.60 $41.60

$52.3 ฿1,747

-20.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.47 $14.47

$10.85 ฿362

33.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.63 $7.63

$7.57 ฿253

0.79%

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

$107 $107

$558 ฿18.7K

-80.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,080 $2,080

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-81.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.73 $22.73

$62.9 ฿2,102

-63.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.97 $27.97

$28.58 ฿955

-2.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 $60.7

$96.1 ฿3,213

-36.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.6 $84.6

$88.1 ฿2,943

-3.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$89.7 $89.7

$729 ฿24.4K

-87.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$87.9 $87.9

$460 ฿15.4K

-80.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 $2,189

$2,096 ฿70.0K

4.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 $133

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-89.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,663 $1,663

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-51.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,376 $1,376

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-44.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$208 $208

$493 ฿16.5K

-57.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.11

5.57

27.65%

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

Last update for Ongjin: 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

Ongjin

$226 31.8%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 18.3% $41

Eating Out

Ongjin

$106 14.9%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 14.6% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ongjin

$89 12.6%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 43.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Ongjin

$88 12.4%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 40.6% $36

Accommodation & Living

Ongjin

$88 12.4%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 424% $372

Sport & Entertainment

Ongjin

$57 8%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 18.6% $11

Getting Around

Ongjin

$56 8%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 31.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $89.7 in Ongjin and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 137% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ongjin vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $268 per month, with Ongjin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇵 Ongjin

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:41 5:41 PM

15:41 3:41 PM

2 h behind Ongjin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,878

79,308

💱 Currency

USD USD

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ongjin Phuket 4,300 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ongjin
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

Ongjin vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ongjin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 137% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $89.7 in Ongjin versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ongjin – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $711 in Ongjin versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ongjin but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ongjin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ongjin 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, Ongjin 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 Ongjin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.