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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,291 in Cheongju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,925 in Cheongju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,559 in Cheongju.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 5% less than in Cheongju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cheongju 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$7.04 ₩10.6K

-35.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$36.02 ₩54.4K

29.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$4.66 ₩7,048

82.19%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$4.00 ₩6,045

-23.00%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.89 ₩2,861

-64.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$1.33 ₩2,017

-72.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$3.68 ₩5,561

-33.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$5.84 ₩8,829

-37.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$2.08 ₩3,146

5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$3.46 ₩5,235

-47.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.80 ₩2,714

23.89%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.16 ₩3,258

3.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$10.42 ₩15.7K

88.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$8.44 ₩12.8K

-55.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$14.60 ₩22.1K

-7.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.97 ₩4,495

13.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$2.86 ₩4,328

-43.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$7.56 ₩11.4K

-68.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$5.19 ₩7,835

-61.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$5.10 ₩7,704

-70.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$2.93 ₩4,433

-50.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$2.02 ₩3,058

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.43 ₩642

11.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.28 ₩4,961

30.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$13.15 ₩19.9K

45.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.68 ₩2,532

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.27 ₩3,424

20.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$1.16 ₩1,745

22.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$72.1 ₩108.9K

-83.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$2.61 ₩3,951

14.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.80 ₩1,214

31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$16.25 ₩24.5K

-14.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.16 ₩1,747

11.21%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$27.8K ₩42.0M

0.85%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$25.3K ₩38.3M

32.31%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$192 ₩289.4K

-36.30%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$24.53 ₩37.1K

-43.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$14.49 ₩21.9K

30.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$61.4 ₩92.8K

-0.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$34.59 ₩52.3K

-51.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$7.30 ₩11.0K

21.78%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$481 ₩726.4K

43.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$14.1K ₩21.4M

14.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$36.63 ₩55.3K

57.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$47.80 ₩72.2K

-25.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$89.4 ₩135.0K

26.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$111 ₩167.3K

-25.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$293 ₩443.0K

106.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$238 ₩359.2K

88.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$407 ₩615.6K

398.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$301 ₩454.4K

396.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$9,598 ₩14.5M

-62.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$5,345 ₩8.1M

-51.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$2,321 ₩3.5M

-78.25%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Cheongju: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $293 in Cheongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 360% 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 $36.00 in Cheongju. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $350, 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

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Cheongju. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Cheongju earns 360% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $293 in Cheongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,223 per month in Phuket versus $1,291 in Cheongju – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 515% less than in Cheongju. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,291 in Cheongju, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cheongju. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,223 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Cheongju. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.