Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gimcheon Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gimcheon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $1,286 in Gimcheon, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,089 per month in Phuket vs $1,736 in Gimcheon, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Phuket vs $2,186 in Gimcheon, rent included.

Phuket is about 2% cheaper than Gimcheon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Gimcheon are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Gimcheon 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$6.11 ₩8,194

-23.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$34.79 ₩46.7K

-7.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.55 ₩8,786

32.52%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.58 ₩4,804

-18.99%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.59 ₩2,134

-47.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.57 ₩766

-14.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$3.44 ₩4,617

-27.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$4.36 ₩5,843

-14.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$2.19 ₩2,934

-13.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$3.15 ₩4,218

-55.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.33 ₩3,124

-30.47%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.27 ₩4,380

-31.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$15.81 ₩21.2K

25.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$7.99 ₩10.7K

-56.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$11.25 ₩15.1K

1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$7.60 ₩10.2K

-61.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$3.19 ₩4,278

-46.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$7.34 ₩9,837

-69.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$6.82 ₩9,142

-68.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$3.45 ₩4,622

-57.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$2.45 ₩3,285

-42.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$2.09 ₩2,807

-47.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.46 ₩1,965

-58.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.43 ₩4,598

25.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$18.44 ₩24.7K

0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.24 ₩3,008

-19.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.02 ₩1,374

120.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.95 ₩3,957

5.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.61 ₩812

77.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.10 ₩1,469

30.00%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$29.7K ₩39.9M

-6.50%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$35.7K ₩47.8M

-24.34%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$209 ₩280.9K

-49.96%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$43.63 ₩58.5K

-73.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$20.74 ₩27.8K

-15.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$70.8 ₩94.9K

-23.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$11.24 ₩15.1K

-30.78%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$295 ₩395.1K

95.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$17.8K ₩23.9M

-35.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$64.0 ₩85.8K

-0.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$64.4 ₩86.4K

-54.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$75.1 ₩100.7K

28.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$101 ₩135.6K

-10.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$297 ₩397.6K

147.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$241 ₩323.7K

107.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,872 ₩2.5M

-72.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.1

35.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Gimcheon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $733 in Phuket versus $297 in Gimcheon. 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 269% higher in Gimcheon, 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $35.00 in Gimcheon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $407 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Gimcheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Gimcheon is pricier by about 2%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,929 in Gimcheon. 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 $1,286 in Gimcheon. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $576 per month in Phuket and $295 in Gimcheon. 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 Gimcheon at $1,286. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gimcheon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Gimcheon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.