Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jeju Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jeju

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $1,089 in Jeju, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $1,883 in Jeju, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $2,677 in Jeju, rent included.

Phuket costs about 13% more than Jeju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Jeju are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Jeju 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$7.39 ₩10.2K

-40.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$51.7 ₩71.3K

-37.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$5.46 ₩7,521

63.55%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$5.72 ₩7,888

-49.30%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.18 ₩3,007

-59.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.91 ₩2,635

-74.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$3.39 ₩4,665

-30.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.05 ₩4,199

21.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.25 ₩3,095

-16.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.25 ₩3,107

-34.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.19 ₩3,021

-29.22%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.66 ₩3,663

-21.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.12 ₩2,916

-20.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.99 ₩4,119

-49.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.90 ₩2,614

-29.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$2.19 ₩3,016

-48.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.43 ₩592

27.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$10.95 ₩15.1K

74.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.91 ₩2,632

-6.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.69 ₩2,327

64.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.95 ₩1,308

134.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.27 ₩1,754

17.32%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

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

$102 ฿3,420

$208 ₩286.5K

-50.71%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$54.4 ₩74.9K

-79.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$19.80 ₩27.3K

-12.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

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

$561 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$24.6K ₩33.9M

-53.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$52.1 ₩71.8K

20.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$29.94 ₩41.3K

-1.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$65.0 ₩89.6K

50.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$90.8 ₩125.1K

-2.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$466 ₩642.7K

58.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$375 ₩516.8K

28.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,331 ₩1.8M

58.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,172 ₩1.6M

4.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$10.3K ₩14.1M

-64.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$6,750 ₩9.3M

-61.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,854 ₩2.6M

-73.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Jeju: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $466 in Jeju. 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 276% higher in Jeju, 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $52.0 in Jeju. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Phuket vs $139 in Jeju – so Jeju 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 Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 13%, 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 $1,633 in Jeju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jeju, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 97% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $52.0 in Jeju. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jeju, where all-in costs run around $1,089, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Jeju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jeju – 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 Jeju. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.