Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gimhae Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gimhae

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,487 in Gimhae.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,342 in Gimhae.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,196 in Gimhae.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 15% less than in Gimhae, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Gimhae is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$6.98 ₩10.6K

-32.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$36.17 ₩54.8K

25.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.22 ₩9,431

35.53%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$4.18 ₩6,337

-29.90%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.88 ₩2,845

-63.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.33 ₩2,009

-72.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.57 ₩5,412

-32.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.92 ₩8,964

-37.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.31 ₩3,504

-3.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$3.51 ₩5,317

-47.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.99 ₩4,536

-27.42%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.01 ₩4,562

-26.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.42 ₩15.8K

89.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$8.00 ₩12.1K

-54.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$27.52 ₩41.7K

-50.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$8.30 ₩12.6K

-60.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$3.23 ₩4,887

-50.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$7.29 ₩11.0K

-66.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$5.20 ₩7,875

-60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$5.12 ₩7,758

-70.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.92 ₩4,429

-49.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$2.04 ₩3,086

-51.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.17 ₩1,768

-56.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.35 ₩5,081

31.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$16.45 ₩24.9K

17.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.77 ₩2,677

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.34 ₩5,061

-18.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.07 ₩1,626

28.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.61 ₩5,466

-16.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.78 ₩1,188

26.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$16.51 ₩25.0K

-14.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.22 ₩1,855

11.48%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$27.6K ₩41.8M

2.26%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.6K ₩37.3M

33.77%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$189 ₩286.5K

-35.64%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$50.6 ₩76.6K

-73.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$27.71 ₩42.0K

-33.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$47.25 ₩71.6K

27.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$11.60 ₩17.6K

-25.09%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$490 ₩743.1K

41.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$13.9K ₩21.1M

12.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$102 ₩154.4K

-41.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$46.96 ₩71.2K

-25.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$87.8 ₩133.0K

30.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$116 ₩175.8K

-28.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$447 ₩676.7K

37.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$381 ₩576.6K

14.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,060 ₩1.6M

97.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$752 ₩1.1M

100.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$8,333 ₩12.6M

-55.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$5,964 ₩9.0M

-56.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,253 ₩3.4M

-77.45%

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 Gimhae: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $447 in Gimhae. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gimhae pays 343% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Gimhae. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $444, 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 Gimhae: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Gimhae. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Gimhae earns 343% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $447 in Gimhae. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $490 in Gimhae. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $36.00 in Gimhae. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,487 in Gimhae, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Gimhae. 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 $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Gimhae 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 18% less than in Gimhae. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.