Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jecheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $1,535 in Jecheon, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. The total is higher in Jecheon despite lower rent and utilities.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Jecheon
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Jecheon Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Jecheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,535

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Jecheon

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

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $1,535 in Jecheon, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Jecheon $1,535

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $2,543 in Jecheon, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Jecheon $2,543

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $3,551 in Jecheon, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Jecheon $3,551

Phuket is about 16% cheaper than Jecheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Phuket sits 4% below the global median, while Jecheon is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$7.27 ₩9,746

-39.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,085

$48.66 ₩65.2K

-33.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

$6.76 ₩9,056

28.70%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$3.56 ₩4,766

-23.60%

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

$0.93 ฿31.25

$1.79 ₩2,399

-48.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.78

$1.39 ₩1,866

-64.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.0

$3.64 ₩4,879

-30.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$4.17 ₩5,592

-12.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$2.34 ₩3,133

-25.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.73

$3.25 ₩4,356

-55.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.19 ₩4,277

-52.98%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$2.67 ₩3,575

-18.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿641

$10.80 ₩14.5K

76.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$10.20 ₩13.7K

-66.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$24.63 ₩33.0K

-55.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.8

$11.10 ₩14.9K

-73.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$3.52 ₩4,713

-51.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.7

$8.21 ₩11.0K

-73.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$5.81 ₩7,782

-63.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.99

$5.89 ₩7,899

-75.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.95

$3.21 ₩4,309

-57.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.14

$2.72 ₩3,652

-60.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.32

$1.27 ₩1,705

-56.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$3.37 ₩4,519

31.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿613

$18.44 ₩24.7K

-1.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.5

$2.35 ₩3,154

-24.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$3.55 ₩4,760

-18.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.62

$1.18 ₩1,579

22.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.8

$3.67 ₩4,915

-58.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.06

$0.62 ₩828

25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$14.58 ₩19.5K

-73.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.96

$1.41 ₩1,887

5.67%

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

$26.9K ฿902.9K

$38.5K ₩51.6M

-30.11%

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

$26.3K ฿884.9K

$33.3K ₩44.6M

-20.90%

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

$97.8 ฿3,285

$201 ₩269.9K

-51.42%

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

$11.29 ฿379

$36.30 ₩48.7K

-68.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿577

$27.24 ₩36.5K

-36.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,295

$57.0 ₩76.4K

19.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$12.69 ₩17.0K

-13.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$11.75 ₩15.8K

-36.77%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$636 ₩852.0K

-16.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿630.9K

$21.9K ₩29.4M

-14.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,072

$105 ₩140.2K

-41.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿949

$64.8 ₩86.8K

-56.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,225

$91.3 ₩122.4K

5.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,916

$126 ₩168.5K

-30.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$440 ₩589.6K

63.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$363 ₩486.2K

40.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.5K

$1,249 ₩1.7M

56.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.9K

$980 ₩1.3M

42.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.8K

$6,852 ₩9.2M

-38.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.8K

$5,151 ₩6.9M

-35.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$1,465 ₩2.0M

-66.45%

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 Jecheon: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Jecheon

$363 23.6% 28.7% $146

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Jecheon

$481 31.3% 80.3% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Jecheon

$265 17.3% 110% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Jecheon

$174 11.3% 41.6% $51

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Jecheon

$160 10.5% 34.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Jecheon

$80 5.2% 3.3% $2.7

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Jecheon

$11 * 0.8% 82.6% $55

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 $440 in Jecheon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Jecheon are about 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $49 in Jecheon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $481 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇷 Jecheon

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

14:12 2:12 PM

2 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

136,432

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 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 = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,509 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Jecheon 4,430 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Jecheon

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 Jecheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,294 in Phuket, $1,535 in Jecheon – Phuket comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $2,302 in Jecheon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jecheon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $440 there versus $721 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $1,535 in Jecheon. That makes Phuket about 16% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $530 per month in Phuket and $636 in Jecheon. 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 $1,294, than in Jecheon at $1,535. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jecheon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,294 in Phuket to $1,535 in Jecheon. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jecheon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.