Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jeonju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeonju: $1,149 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Jeonju
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Jeonju Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Jeonju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,149

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Jeonju

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,149 in Jeonju.

Phuket $1,278
Jeonju $1,149

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,796 in Jeonju.

Phuket $2,216
Jeonju $1,796

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,443 in Jeonju.

Phuket $3,154
Jeonju $2,443

Living in Phuket is roughly 11% more expensive than in Jeonju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Jeonju 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$7.48 ₩10.0K

-40.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$22.90 ₩30.8K

41.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.43 ₩7,287

62.25%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$3.81 ₩5,112

-25.72%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.12 ₩1,503

-22.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.61 ₩824

-19.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$2.85 ₩3,827

-10.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.16 ₩5,591

-11.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.15 ₩2,885

-22.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$2.30 ₩3,095

-36.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.12 ₩4,186

-51.92%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.30 ₩3,090

-9.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$10.99 ₩14.8K

73.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$10.53 ₩14.1K

-68.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$25.57 ₩34.3K

-57.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$11.45 ₩15.4K

-74.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$3.33 ₩4,472

-49.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$8.37 ₩11.2K

-73.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$4.61 ₩6,197

-54.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$6.20 ₩8,319

-75.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$2.29 ₩3,075

-39.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$2.91 ₩3,907

-63.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.77 ₩1,031

-32.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.47 ₩4,662

21.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$18.83 ₩25.3K

-0.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.49 ₩1,998

22.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$3.51 ₩4,710

-19.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$1.22 ₩1,634

18.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.32 ₩4,460

-9.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.76 ₩1,022

34.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$16.74 ₩22.5K

-77.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.21 ₩1,631

21.49%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$39.1K ₩52.5M

-31.50%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$34.6K ₩46.5M

-22.94%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$72.0 ₩96.7K

33.82%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$30.65 ₩41.2K

-63.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$27.49 ₩36.9K

-38.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$11.98 ₩16.1K

-37.40%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$638 ₩856.7K

-25.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$22.0K ₩29.5M

-48.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$105 ₩140.4K

-40.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$64.9 ₩87.2K

-56.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$44.53 ₩59.8K

111.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$37.95 ₩51.0K

126.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$266 ₩356.5K

169.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$259 ₩348.4K

89.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$460 ₩617.1K

211.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$2,295 ₩3.1M

-78.12%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jeonju: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Jeonju

$259 22.6% 47.1% $231

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Jeonju

$458 39.9% 72.2% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Jeonju

$130 11.3% 4.6% $5.7

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Jeonju

$113 9.9% 7% $8.5

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Jeonju

$151 13.2% 24.4% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Jeonju

$24 * 2.1% 70.9% $58

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Jeonju

$12 * 1% 83% $59

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $266 in Jeonju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jeonju pays about 4.6 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $23 in Jeonju. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $458, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇷 Jeonju

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

02:43 2:43 AM

2 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

653,387

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Jeonju 4,260 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Jeonju

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 Jeonju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeonju is cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and clothing. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 78% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $266 in Jeonju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $638 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 $23 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Jeonju gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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.