Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jeonju Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jeonju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,246 in Jeonju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,912 in Jeonju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,578 in Jeonju.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than Jeonju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Jeonju 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$6.65 ₩10.2K

-31.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$27.74 ₩42.4K

68.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$4.99 ₩7,622

69.74%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$3.78 ₩5,771

-19.84%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$1.11 ₩1,700

-37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.65 ₩990

-43.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$1.93 ₩2,944

29.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$2.95 ₩4,509

24.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$2.03 ₩3,094

7.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$2.16 ₩3,301

-12.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$3.02 ₩4,617

-27.15%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$2.85 ₩4,358

-22.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$10.51 ₩16.1K

90.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$8.18 ₩12.5K

-55.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$27.82 ₩42.5K

-52.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$8.40 ₩12.8K

-61.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$3.21 ₩4,896

-47.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$7.28 ₩11.1K

-67.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$5.31 ₩8,115

-60.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$5.24 ₩7,996

-69.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$3.02 ₩4,617

-50.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$2.12 ₩3,237

-51.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$1.20 ₩1,826

-56.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$3.24 ₩4,951

31.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$16.51 ₩25.2K

13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$1.67 ₩2,550

5.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$3.43 ₩5,239

-19.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$1.12 ₩1,708

21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$3.55 ₩5,420

-11.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.79 ₩1,208

31.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$16.24 ₩24.8K

-15.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$1.17 ₩1,786

14.53%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$27.6K ₩42.1M

0.46%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$24.9K ₩38.1M

35.84%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$187 ₩285.5K

-33.88%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$49.82 ₩76.1K

-72.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$22.14 ₩33.8K

-15.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$48.28 ₩73.7K

28.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$8.95 ₩13.7K

2.12%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$490 ₩749.1K

43.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$14.1K ₩21.6M

12.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$28.98 ₩44.3K

105.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$46.99 ₩71.8K

-25.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$67.4 ₩102.9K

71.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$116 ₩177.9K

-27.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$281 ₩429.0K

120.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$219 ₩333.8K

97.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$572 ₩873.8K

260.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$455 ₩694.5K

232.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$1,995 ₩3.0M

-74.59%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Jeonju: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $281 in Jeonju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jeonju pays 294% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Jeonju. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $431, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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 Jeonju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeonju is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Jeonju earns 294% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $281 in Jeonju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $490 in Jeonju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jeonju – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,246 in Jeonju versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeonju but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Jeonju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jeonju is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Jeonju are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Jeonju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.