Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gyeongju Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gyeongju

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $1,467 in Gyeongju, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $2,313 in Gyeongju, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $3,159 in Gyeongju, rent included.

Phuket is about 16% cheaper than Gyeongju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Phuket sits 8% below the global median, while Gyeongju is 10% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.34 ₩10.9K

-36.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$36.51 ₩54.2K

28.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.04 ₩8,966

46.36%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$4.23 ₩6,271

-29.08%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.79 ₩2,657

-58.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.34 ₩1,982

-72.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.58 ₩5,316

-31.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$5.94 ₩8,805

-39.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.33 ₩3,449

-3.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$3.49 ₩5,179

-47.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$3.04 ₩4,505

-26.32%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.92 ₩4,338

-20.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.43 ₩15.5K

88.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$8.04 ₩11.9K

-54.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$28.01 ₩41.5K

-53.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$8.58 ₩12.7K

-60.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$3.21 ₩4,765

-48.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$7.60 ₩11.3K

-68.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$5.12 ₩7,597

-60.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$5.19 ₩7,699

-69.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.95 ₩4,369

-49.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.01 ₩2,979

-49.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.17 ₩1,730

-58.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.24 ₩4,802

37.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$13.78 ₩20.4K

37.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.75 ₩2,592

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.31 ₩4,906

-16.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.07 ₩1,589

30.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.99 ₩4,430

4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.80 ₩1,191

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$16.52 ₩24.5K

-14.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.21 ₩1,801

11.57%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$27.8K ₩41.2M

-2.20%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.0K ₩37.1M

31.70%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$187 ₩277.0K

-33.08%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$47.04 ₩69.8K

-71.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$27.13 ₩40.2K

-31.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$48.27 ₩71.6K

27.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$10.99 ₩16.3K

-16.38%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$492 ₩729.6K

41.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$14.1K ₩20.8M

10.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$105 ₩155.6K

-44.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$46.66 ₩69.2K

-24.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$88.9 ₩131.9K

27.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$119 ₩175.8K

-27.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$459 ₩680.8K

34.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$373 ₩553.0K

19.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,044 ₩1.5M

96.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$781 ₩1.2M

90.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$8,580 ₩12.7M

-55.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$5,395 ₩8.0M

-50.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,692 ₩2.5M

-69.05%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Gyeongju: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $459 in Gyeongju. 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 223% higher in Gyeongju, 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $37.00 in Gyeongju. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Phuket vs $442 in Gyeongju – 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 Gyeongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Gyeongju is pricier by about 19%, 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 $1,847 per month in Phuket and $2,200 in Gyeongju. 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 $1,232 in Phuket and $1,467 in Gyeongju. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $698 per month in Phuket and $492 in Gyeongju. 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 $1,232, than in Gyeongju at $1,467. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gyeongju 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, Gyeongju makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.