Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gyeongju

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeongju: $1,236 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Gyeongju
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Gyeongju Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Gyeongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,236

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Gyeongju

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 Gyeongju actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $1,236 in Gyeongju, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Gyeongju $1,236

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $2,053 in Gyeongju, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Gyeongju $2,053

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $2,871 in Gyeongju, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Gyeongju $2,871

Phuket costs about 5% more than Gyeongju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Gyeongju are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Gyeongju 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$7.38 ₩9,898

-40.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,085

$47.59 ₩63.8K

-32.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

$6.45 ₩8,652

34.88%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$2.99 ₩4,005

-9.03%

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

$0.93 ฿31.25

$1.13 ₩1,518

-17.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.78

$0.36 ₩482

38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.0

$2.62 ₩3,507

-3.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$4.21 ₩5,640

-13.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$2.33 ₩3,117

-25.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.73

$2.53 ₩3,394

-42.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.07 ₩4,122

-51.14%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$2.57 ₩3,450

-15.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿641

$10.82 ₩14.5K

76.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$10.34 ₩13.9K

-67.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$18.74 ₩25.1K

-41.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.8

$4.42 ₩5,930

-33.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$2.67 ₩3,577

-36.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.7

$3.73 ₩5,003

-41.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$3.65 ₩4,896

-41.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.99

$2.54 ₩3,406

-42.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.95

$2.27 ₩3,043

-39.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.14

$2.18 ₩2,921

-50.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.32

$1.31 ₩1,761

-58.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$3.40 ₩4,556

30.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿613

$14.95 ₩20.0K

22.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.5

$1.09 ₩1,463

62.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$2.16 ₩2,901

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.62

$1.03 ₩1,379

40.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.8

$2.99 ₩4,014

-49.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.06

$0.62 ₩828

25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$15.01 ₩20.1K

-74.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.96

$1.06 ₩1,417

40.57%

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

$26.9K ฿902.9K

$38.5K ₩51.6M

-30.22%

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

$26.3K ฿884.9K

$33.9K ₩45.5M

-22.31%

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

$97.8 ฿3,285

$79.4 ₩106.5K

23.14%

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

$11.29 ฿379

$36.57 ₩49.0K

-69.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿577

$27.28 ₩36.6K

-36.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,295

$54.4 ₩72.9K

25.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$15.33 ₩20.5K

-28.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$11.20 ₩15.0K

-33.66%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$639 ₩856.6K

-16.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿630.9K

$22.0K ₩29.5M

-14.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,072

$44.27 ₩59.4K

39.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿949

$22.44 ₩30.1K

25.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,225

$94.0 ₩126.0K

2.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,916

$124 ₩166.6K

-30.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$430 ₩576.0K

67.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$376 ₩504.7K

35.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.5K

$1,151 ₩1.5M

69.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.9K

$858 ₩1.2M

62.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.8K

$6,043 ₩8.1M

-30.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.8K

$6,003 ₩8.0M

-45.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$1,851 ₩2.5M

-73.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.22

31.99%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Gyeongju: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Gyeongju

$376 30.5% 26% $132

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Gyeongju

$359 29.1% 34.6% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Gyeongju

$143 11.6% 13.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Gyeongju

$128 10.4% 4.5% $5.5

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Gyeongju

$142 11.5% 18.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Gyeongju

$77 6.2% 7.7% $6.4

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Gyeongju

$10 * 0.8% 84.6% $56

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $430 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 in Gyeongju are about 3.8 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $48 in Gyeongju. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $359 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇷 Gyeongju

🕒 Local time

14:54 2:54 PM

16:54 4:54 PM

2 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

258,156

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Gyeongju 4,410 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Gyeongju

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 Gyeongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $1,854 in Gyeongju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gyeongju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $430 there versus $721 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $1,236 in Gyeongju. That makes Gyeongju about 4% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $530 per month in Phuket and $639 in Gyeongju. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,294 in Phuket and $1,236 in Gyeongju, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,236 in Gyeongju to $1,294 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.