Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cheongju Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cheongju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,248 in Cheongju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,883 in Cheongju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,518 in Cheongju.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than in Cheongju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Cheongju 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$7.15 ₩10.3K

-37.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$36.15 ₩52.0K

26.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.82 ₩6,937

81.74%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$4.21 ₩6,055

-29.45%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.88 ₩2,706

-63.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.37 ₩1,971

-71.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$3.70 ₩5,321

-31.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$6.00 ₩8,635

-37.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$2.00 ₩2,876

7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$3.57 ₩5,132

-49.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.83 ₩2,626

19.13%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.26 ₩3,244

-0.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$10.44 ₩15.0K

91.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.24 ₩11.9K

-55.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$14.81 ₩21.3K

-8.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.91 ₩4,184

11.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.93 ₩4,208

-44.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$7.25 ₩10.4K

-67.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$5.29 ₩7,601

-60.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$5.17 ₩7,443

-70.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.90 ₩4,176

-49.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$2.09 ₩3,008

-53.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.42 ₩608

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.36 ₩4,833

29.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$13.91 ₩20.0K

33.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.68 ₩2,418

10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.15 ₩3,090

23.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.21 ₩1,740

17.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$72.3 ₩104.0K

-84.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.72 ₩3,909

16.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.84 ₩1,206

22.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$16.69 ₩24.0K

-16.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.17 ₩1,680

14.53%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$28.0K ₩40.3M

-0.82%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$25.3K ₩36.3M

32.18%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$191 ₩275.0K

-35.65%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$24.27 ₩34.9K

-43.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$14.78 ₩21.3K

24.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$62.9 ₩90.4K

-3.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$33.82 ₩48.6K

-49.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$7.30 ₩10.5K

21.51%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$498 ₩716.2K

38.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$14.3K ₩20.6M

10.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$37.29 ₩53.6K

59.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$48.45 ₩69.7K

-28.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$88.4 ₩127.1K

30.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$111 ₩159.6K

-24.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$303 ₩436.3K

104.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$240 ₩345.3K

85.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$410 ₩590.2K

395.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$294 ₩423.3K

408.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$7,198 ₩10.4M

-52.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$5,148 ₩7.4M

-50.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,433 ₩3.5M

-79.71%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cheongju: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $303 in Cheongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 393% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Cheongju. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $352, 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 Cheongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheongju wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cheongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 393% lower in Cheongju. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $303 in Cheongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $1,248 in Cheongju – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cheongju runs roughly 525% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,248 in Cheongju versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cheongju but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cheongju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cheongju delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,248 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cheongju hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cheongju 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 Cheongju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.