Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mokpo

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $1,406 in Mokpo, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Mokpo despite lower rent and utilities.

Phuket, Thailand
Mokpo, South Korea
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Mokpo
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,406
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mokpo

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

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $1,406 in Mokpo, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Mokpo $1,406

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $2,304 in Mokpo, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Mokpo $2,304

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $3,202 in Mokpo, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Mokpo $3,202

Phuket is about 8% cheaper than Mokpo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Mokpo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿148
$7.40 ₩9,949
-40.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,090
$37.40 ₩50.3K
-13.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿294
$6.67 ₩8,969
30.43%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.9
$3.55 ₩4,775
-23.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.38
$1.58 ₩2,128
-41.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.85
$0.69 ₩921
-27.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.4
$3.38 ₩4,544
-25.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$4.16 ₩5,594
-12.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Mokpo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.7
$2.14 ₩2,882
-18.69%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$3.15 ₩4,231
-53.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$2.73 ₩3,674
-45.05%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.3
$2.62 ₩3,525
-17.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿644
$10.55 ₩14.2K
80.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿115
$10.58 ₩14.2K
-67.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿368
$21.61 ₩29.0K
-49.56%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿99.2
$7.48 ₩10.1K
-60.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$3.03 ₩4,068
-44.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿74.0
$5.30 ₩7,120
-58.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.6
$5.35 ₩7,184
-60.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿49.19
$3.75 ₩5,042
-61.07%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿46.14
$2.71 ₩3,639
-49.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.29
$2.75 ₩3,700
-60.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.40
$1.25 ₩1,677
-56.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$3.25 ₩4,364
36.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿616
$13.48 ₩18.1K
35.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.8
$2.35 ₩3,159
-24.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿97.2
$3.62 ₩4,861
-20.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Mokpo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.82
$1.00 ₩1,341
45.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,851
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$4.09 ₩5,490
-63.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.17
$0.59 ₩794
32.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿129
$9.80 ₩13.2K
-60.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.2
$1.41 ₩1,901
5.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿906.7K
$30.2K ₩40.6M
-11.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿888.6K
$30.1K ₩40.5M
-12.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Mokpo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,299
$207 ₩277.8K
-52.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿381
$35.80 ₩48.1K
-68.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿580
$22.26 ₩29.9K
-22.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Mokpo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,305
$50.6 ₩68.0K
34.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿368
$12.38 ₩16.6K
-11.79%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿251
$11.94 ₩16.0K
-37.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Mokpo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.9K
$416 ₩559.3K
27.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿633.5K
$22.6K ₩30.4M
-17.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Mokpo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,080
$62.6 ₩84.1K
-1.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿953
$62.0 ₩83.3K
-54.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,238
$74.6 ₩100.2K
28.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,928
$109 ₩147.0K
-20.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Mokpo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.3K
$533 ₩716.0K
35.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.2K
$344 ₩462.9K
47.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.8K
$1,118 ₩1.5M
74.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿47.1K
$940 ₩1.3M
48.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿141.4K
$6,862 ₩9.2M
-38.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿111.3K
$5,612 ₩7.5M
-41.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Mokpo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.1
35.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mokpo: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Mokpo
$344 32.3% $164
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Mokpo
$416 55.8% $149
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Mokpo
$265 110% $138
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Mokpo
$139 13.1% $16
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Mokpo
$156 30.7% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Mokpo
$74 10.4% $8.7
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Mokpo
$11 * 83.3% $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 $533 in Mokpo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $37 in Mokpo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $416 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇰🇷 Mokpo
🕒 Local time
13:49 1:49 PM
15:49 3:49 PM
2 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
237,739
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1,344 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Mokpo 4,140 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Mokpo

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 Mokpo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Mokpo?
Yes – Mokpo is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $2,109 in Mokpo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mokpo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $533 there versus $721 in Phuket.
What are total monthly expenses in Phuket and in Mokpo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $1,406 in Mokpo. That makes Phuket about 8% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $530 per month in Phuket and $416 in Mokpo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Mokpo?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,294 in Phuket to $1,406 in Mokpo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Mokpo?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

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