Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ongjin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ongjin: $709 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Ongjin
Learn more

Ongjin Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Ongjin

🇰🇵 North Korea

$709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ongjin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $709 in Ongjin.

Phuket $1,278
Ongjin $709

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,110 in Ongjin.

Phuket $2,216
Ongjin $1,110

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,510 in Ongjin.

Phuket $3,154
Ongjin $1,510

Living in Phuket is roughly 80% more expensive than in Ongjin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ongjin 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.82 $2.82

58.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$22.46 $22.46

44.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.84 $7.84

12.37%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$1.14 $1.14

148.25%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.96 $0.96

-9.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.94 $0.94

-47.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$6.81 $6.81

-62.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.30 $2.30

60.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.93 $0.93

78.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$1.54 $1.54

-5.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$2.29 $2.29

-34.50%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$3.10 $3.10

-32.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$4.42 $4.42

331.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.18 $2.18

51.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$5.66 $5.66

92.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$6.76 $6.76

-56.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$4.59 $4.59

-63.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.18 $2.18

3.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.18 $2.18

-4.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$3.29 $3.29

-54.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$3.41 $3.41

-59.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$2.21 $2.21

-51.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.43 $0.43

20.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.55 $4.55

-7.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$7.98 $7.98

135.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.09 $1.09

66.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.19 $2.19

29.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.02 $1.02

42.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$38.37 $38.37

47.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.47 $1.47

105.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$2.19 $2.19

-53.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$39.47 $39.47

-90.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$0.70 $0.70

110.00%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$22.8K $22.8K

17.57%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$28.5K $28.5K

-6.29%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$32.94 $32.94

192.50%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$11.19 $11.19

0.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$44.92 $44.92

-62.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$42.55 $42.55

58.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$14.40 $14.40

-25.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.89 $7.89

-4.94%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$108 $108

341.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$2,076 $2,076

442.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$22.28 $22.28

179.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$28.34 $28.34

0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$60.9 $60.9

54.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$82.6 $82.6

3.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$89.7 $89.7

697.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$88.1 $88.1

457.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$2,259 $2,259

-14.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$135 $135

959.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$1,688 $1,688

147.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$1,378 $1,378

120.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$212 $212

136.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.11

-21.66%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ongjin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Ongjin

$88 12.4% 82.1% $403

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Ongjin

$225 31.7% 15.5% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Ongjin

$89 12.6% 28.5% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ongjin

$87 12.3% 28.3% $35

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ongjin

$106 15% 12.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Ongjin

$58 8.2% 29.1% $24

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Ongjin

$55 7.8% 22.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $90 in Ongjin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $22 in Ongjin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $225 per month, with Ongjin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇵 Ongjin

🕒 Local time

15:24 3:24 PM

17:24 5:24 PM

2 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

152,878

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Ongjin 4,300 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ongjin

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 Ongjin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ongjin is about 45% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Phuket is about 2.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $90 in Ongjin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ongjin – a meal for two runs $22 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $709 in Ongjin versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ongjin but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ongjin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Ongjin are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Ongjin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.