Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Korla Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Korla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $700 in Korla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,113 in Korla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,527 in Korla.

Living in Phuket is roughly 75% more expensive than Korla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Korla 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$2.71 ¥18.34

66.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$21.20 ¥143

119.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$4.77 ¥32.20

77.99%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.92 ¥19.73

5.48%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.46 ¥3.14

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.29 ¥1.98

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$0.89 ¥6.01

173.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.07 ¥13.99

75.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.79 ¥12.12

22.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.59 ¥10.74

13.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$0.90 ¥6.08

147.78%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.56 ¥10.57

43.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$12.93 ¥87.4

51.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$3.17 ¥21.45

17.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$10.12 ¥68.4

33.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.81 ¥12.20

85.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.26 ¥8.50

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.35 ¥9.13

78.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.14 ¥7.69

74.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.67 ¥4.53

128.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$0.92 ¥6.21

57.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.60 ¥4.05

68.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.54 ¥3.66

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.15 ¥21.29

35.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$10.44 ¥70.5

83.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$0.79 ¥5.31

132.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.66 ¥11.24

65.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.27 ¥1.82

425.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$16.86 ¥114

-30.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.40 ¥9.49

114.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.33 ¥2.20

218.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$6.56 ¥44.33

111.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.13 ¥7.63

14.16%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$19.3K ¥130.3K

45.39%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$16.7K ¥112.9K

100.51%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$45.05 ¥304

170.77%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$9.91 ¥66.9

40.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$11.61 ¥78.4

62.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$41.43 ¥280

47.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$13.75 ¥92.9

22.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$6.25 ¥42.24

42.24%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$331 ¥2,234

109.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$16.8K ¥113.7K

-3.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$44.13 ¥298

30.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$30.97 ¥209

14.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$71.7 ¥485

58.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$73.9 ¥499

12.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$278 ¥1,881

117.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$184 ¥1,242

143.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$583 ¥3,939

248.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$359 ¥2,428

315.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$3,305 ¥22.3K

8.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,778 ¥12.0K

45.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$730 ¥4,932

-30.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.87

37.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Korla: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $278 in Korla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Korla pays 45% 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 $21.00 in Korla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $197 per month, with Korla cheaper across the board.

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 Korla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Korla wins on cost – living expenses run 75% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Korla the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Korla earns 45% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $278 in Korla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Korla runs roughly 44% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $331 in Korla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $700 in Korla versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Korla but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Korla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Korla delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $700 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Korla hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Korla 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 Korla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.