Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gyeonggi

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeonggi: $1,084 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Gyeonggi

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,084

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Gyeonggi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Gyeonggi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,084 in Gyeonggi.

Phuket $1,278
Gyeonggi $1,084

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,107 in Gyeonggi.

Phuket $2,216
Gyeonggi $2,107

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,129 in Gyeonggi.

Phuket $3,154
Gyeonggi $3,129

Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than in Gyeonggi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Gyeonggi 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$7.51 ₩10.0K

-40.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$60.3 ₩80.5K

-46.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.12 ₩8,172

43.95%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.94 ₩5,259

-28.17%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$1.18 ₩1,571

-26.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.73 ₩969

-32.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$3.45 ₩4,606

-25.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.08 ₩4,117

19.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.86 ₩2,483

-10.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$11.11 ₩14.8K

-73.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$3.82 ₩5,104

-55.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$7.76 ₩10.4K

-71.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.24 ₩4,332

-6.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.62 ₩823

64.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.41 ₩1,880

4.26%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$195 ₩260.0K

-50.52%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$40.69 ₩54.3K

-72.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$21.48 ₩28.7K

-21.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$57.0 ₩76.2K

17.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$10.24 ₩13.7K

-26.76%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$60.5 ₩80.8K

3.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$42.02 ₩56.1K

-32.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$85.4 ₩114.0K

10.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$533 ₩712.1K

34.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$374 ₩498.8K

31.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,164 ₩2.9M

-10.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,533 ₩2.0M

-6.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$2,228 ₩3.0M

-77.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.5

59.14%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gyeonggi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Gyeonggi

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Gyeonggi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Gyeonggi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Gyeonggi

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Gyeonggi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Gyeonggi

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Gyeonggi

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $533 in Gyeonggi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gyeonggi pays about 4.4 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $60 in Gyeonggi. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $128, with Gyeonggi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇷 Gyeonggi

🕒 Local time

17:53 5:53 PM

19:53 7:53 PM

2 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,234,582

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Gyeonggi 4,360 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Phuket
Gyeonggi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Gyeonggi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gyeonggi is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 77% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $533 in Gyeonggi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 108% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $60 in Gyeonggi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Gyeonggi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Gyeonggi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.