Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Changwon Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Changwon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,504 in Changwon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,304 in Changwon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,105 in Changwon.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 16% less than in Changwon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Changwon is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$6.95 ₩10.5K

-34.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$27.97 ₩42.5K

66.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.06 ₩7,679

67.39%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.65 ₩5,538

-16.99%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.79 ₩2,711

-61.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.93 ₩1,420

-60.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.87 ₩4,356

-13.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.24 ₩6,434

-13.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.25 ₩3,412

-3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$3.61 ₩5,481

-47.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$3.13 ₩4,750

-29.71%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.88 ₩4,372

-22.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$10.68 ₩16.2K

87.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$8.21 ₩12.5K

-55.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$27.42 ₩41.6K

-51.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$8.58 ₩13.0K

-62.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$3.13 ₩4,747

-45.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$7.37 ₩11.2K

-67.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$5.41 ₩8,223

-61.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$5.15 ₩7,828

-69.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.96 ₩4,489

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.11 ₩3,202

-51.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.16 ₩1,763

-55.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.36 ₩5,099

26.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$16.40 ₩24.9K

14.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.73 ₩2,627

1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$3.45 ₩5,240

-20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.10 ₩1,670

23.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.72 ₩4,133

15.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.79 ₩1,198

31.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$16.42 ₩24.9K

-16.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.22 ₩1,859

9.84%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$28.3K ₩42.9M

-2.04%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$24.6K ₩37.3M

37.78%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$192 ₩291.9K

-35.70%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$49.82 ₩75.7K

-72.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$27.36 ₩41.5K

-31.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$51.0 ₩77.4K

21.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$11.43 ₩17.4K

-20.03%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$496 ₩752.8K

41.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$14.1K ₩21.4M

12.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$101 ₩153.9K

-41.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$47.83 ₩72.6K

-26.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$86.7 ₩131.6K

33.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$118 ₩179.2K

-28.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$447 ₩678.9K

38.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$378 ₩574.1K

14.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,054 ₩1.6M

95.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$761 ₩1.2M

98.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,469 ₩2.2M

-65.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.22

26.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Changwon: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $447 in Changwon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changwon pays 190% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Changwon. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $448, 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

Phuket vs Changwon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Changwon differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $1,504 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Changwon earns 190% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $447 in Changwon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Changwon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $1,504 in Changwon – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,504 in Changwon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Changwon. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this 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, Phuket and Changwon 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Changwon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.