Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gwangju Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gwangju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,401 in Gwangju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,181 in Gwangju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,962 in Gwangju.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 10% less than in Gwangju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Gwangju is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$7.40 ₩11.2K

-36.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$52.4 ₩79.3K

-13.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.78 ₩8,751

45.85%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.97 ₩6,008

-26.20%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.51 ₩2,293

-54.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.68 ₩1,034

-45.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.90 ₩4,394

-16.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.64 ₩5,510

2.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.79 ₩2,718

24.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$2.34 ₩3,539

-21.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$3.12 ₩4,731

-30.45%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.63 ₩3,978

-15.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.20 ₩10.9K

174.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.39 ₩11.2K

-50.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$33.61 ₩50.9K

-59.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$7.89 ₩12.0K

-58.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$3.50 ₩5,297

-54.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$5.61 ₩8,500

-57.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$5.62 ₩8,514

-62.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$3.96 ₩5,996

-61.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.48 ₩3,760

-40.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$2.59 ₩3,929

-61.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.19 ₩1,809

-57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.38 ₩5,122

30.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$10.21 ₩15.5K

89.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.62 ₩2,450

9.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.29 ₩3,474

18.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.93 ₩1,413

47.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$67.3 ₩102.0K

-83.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.89 ₩4,383

4.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.53 ₩801

86.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$8.49 ₩12.9K

66.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.25 ₩1,898

8.80%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$28.0K ₩42.4M

0.88%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.9K ₩33.2M

50.19%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$163 ₩246.5K

-25.19%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$34.24 ₩51.9K

-60.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$22.42 ₩34.0K

-18.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$48.51 ₩73.5K

24.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.94 ₩22.6K

14.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$8.71 ₩13.2K

-0.23%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$418 ₩632.8K

66.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$23.8K ₩36.1M

-34.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$49.40 ₩74.8K

20.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$37.15 ₩56.3K

-6.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$64.2 ₩97.2K

78.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$99.9 ₩151.4K

-16.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$460 ₩696.4K

33.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$358 ₩542.3K

22.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$838 ₩1.3M

149.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$597 ₩903.9K

153.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$7,020 ₩10.6M

-46.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$5,734 ₩8.7M

-54.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,483 ₩3.8M

-79.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.9

36.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Gwangju: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $460 in Gwangju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gwangju pays 389% 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 $52.0 in Gwangju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $409 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Gwangju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Gwangju earns 389% 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 $460 in Gwangju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $52.0 in Gwangju. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $1,401 in Gwangju – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,401 in Gwangju, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Gwangju. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Gwangju, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Gwangju 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 11% less than in Gwangju. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.