Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chungju Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chungju

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $1,444 in Chungju, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $2,257 in Chungju, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $3,070 in Chungju, rent included.

Phuket is about 12% cheaper than Chungju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Chungju is 8% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$7.08 ₩10.7K

-33.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$37.13 ₩56.3K

22.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.89 ₩8,920

43.12%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$4.19 ₩6,355

-30.07%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.79 ₩2,717

-61.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.34 ₩2,024

-72.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.58 ₩5,426

-32.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$6.01 ₩9,105

-38.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.18 ₩3,308

2.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$2.93 ₩4,434

-37.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$3.00 ₩4,551

-27.67%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.93 ₩4,435

-24.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.32 ₩15.6K

91.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.24 ₩11.0K

-49.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$27.57 ₩41.8K

-50.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$8.26 ₩12.5K

-60.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$3.13 ₩4,741

-48.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$7.50 ₩11.4K

-67.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$5.13 ₩7,773

-59.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$5.02 ₩7,602

-69.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$3.05 ₩4,617

-51.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$2.12 ₩3,210

-53.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.21 ₩1,826

-57.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.35 ₩5,069

31.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$16.85 ₩25.5K

15.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.75 ₩2,649

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.01 ₩4,567

-9.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.12 ₩1,698

22.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.60 ₩5,454

-16.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.79 ₩1,202

25.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$16.72 ₩25.3K

-15.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.21 ₩1,837

12.40%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$27.7K ₩42.0M

1.86%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.4K ₩38.4M

29.76%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$191 ₩289.5K

-36.31%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$26.69 ₩40.4K

-49.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$27.92 ₩42.3K

-34.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$47.03 ₩71.3K

28.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$11.44 ₩17.3K

-24.04%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$482 ₩730.8K

43.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$14.3K ₩21.7M

9.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$72.9 ₩110.5K

-18.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$37.11 ₩56.2K

-6.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$73.9 ₩112.0K

55.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$110 ₩166.4K

-24.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$445 ₩674.2K

37.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$370 ₩560.8K

18.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,061 ₩1.6M

97.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$761 ₩1.2M

98.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$9,806 ₩14.9M

-61.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$4,616 ₩7.0M

-43.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,487 ₩2.3M

-65.82%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Chungju: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $445 in Chungju. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 193% higher in Chungju, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket versus $37.00 in Chungju. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Phuket vs $433 in Chungju – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Chungju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chungju costs about 14% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $2,166 in Chungju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,265 in Phuket and $1,444 in Chungju. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $693 per month in Phuket and $482 in Chungju. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Chungju at $1,444. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chungju it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,265 versus $1,444 in Chungju. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chungju makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.