Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pangyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $1,460 in Pangyo, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. The total is higher in Pangyo despite lower rent and utilities.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Pangyo
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Pangyo Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Pangyo

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,460

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Pangyo

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

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Phuket vs $1,460 in Pangyo, rent included.

Phuket $1,190
Pangyo $1,460

A couple spends around $2,006 per month in Phuket vs $2,303 in Pangyo, rent included.

Phuket $2,006
Pangyo $2,303

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Phuket vs $3,145 in Pangyo, rent included.

Phuket $2,822
Pangyo $3,145

Phuket is about 19% cheaper than Pangyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Pangyo is 9% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$7.17 ₩9,612

-39.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$30.05 ₩40.3K

7.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$6.54 ₩8,768

28.75%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$4.03 ₩5,394

-30.27%

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$1.51 ₩2,023

-42.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$0.71 ₩953

-35.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.96 ₩3,973

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$3.98 ₩5,335

-8.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$2.30 ₩3,084

-25.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$3.19 ₩4,274

-54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.74 ₩3,674

-43.07%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$2.69 ₩3,607

-21.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$10.88 ₩14.6K

79.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$7.91 ₩10.6K

-57.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$21.43 ₩28.7K

-48.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$7.68 ₩10.3K

-63.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$3.62 ₩4,847

-55.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$7.50 ₩10.1K

-70.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$6.11 ₩8,182

-64.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

$3.62 ₩4,848

-58.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$2.68 ₩3,587

-50.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

$2.78 ₩3,732

-61.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

$1.28 ₩1,715

-60.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$3.45 ₩4,624

26.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$18.84 ₩25.3K

-0.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$2.29 ₩3,071

-24.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.46 ₩4,639

-19.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$1.10 ₩1,476

97.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

$47.53 ₩63.7K

-53.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$3.36 ₩4,504

-10.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$0.66 ₩882

60.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$13.05 ₩17.5K

-71.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$1.41 ₩1,887

1.42%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

$30.8K ₩41.2M

-14.34%

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

$38.4K ₩51.4M

-31.75%

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$199 ₩266.8K

-51.46%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$36.74 ₩49.2K

-68.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$22.15 ₩29.7K

-22.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

$51.2 ₩68.6K

3.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

$11.91 ₩16.0K

-7.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$11.13 ₩14.9K

-31.27%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$526 ₩704.4K

5.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$21.7K ₩29.0M

-47.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$65.7 ₩88.0K

-3.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$64.1 ₩85.9K

-55.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$74.5 ₩99.8K

29.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$101 ₩135.3K

-12.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$478 ₩641.1K

53.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$361 ₩483.8K

26.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$1,182 ₩1.6M

77.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

$735 ₩985.5K

61.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

$7,053 ₩9.5M

-50.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

$5,546 ₩7.4M

-55.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$5,262 ₩7.1M

-90.48%

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: October 4, 2026

Last update for Pangyo: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Pangyo

$361 24.4% 21.2% $97

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Pangyo

$433 29.3% 61.4% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Pangyo

$258 17.5% 106% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Pangyo

$137 9.3% 10.1% $13

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Pangyo

$157 10.6% 31.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Pangyo

$73 5% 7.8% $5.3

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Pangyo

$59 4% 49.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $735 in Phuket versus $478 in Pangyo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 950% higher in Pangyo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $30.00 in Pangyo. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $433 in Pangyo – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇷 Pangyo

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

15:42 3:42 PM

2 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Pangyo 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Pangyo

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 Pangyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pangyo is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Phuket and $2,191 in Pangyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 113% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $555 per month in Phuket and $526 in Pangyo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,190, than in Pangyo at $1,460. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pangyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pangyo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.