Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pyeongtaek Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pyeongtaek

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,484 in Pyeongtaek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,224 in Pyeongtaek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,965 in Pyeongtaek.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 15% less than in Pyeongtaek, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Pyeongtaek is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$7.25 ₩10.3K

-38.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,520

$21.99 ₩31.3K

107.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.75 ₩6,757

84.42%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$4.09 ₩5,808

-27.38%

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

$0.69 ฿22.89

$1.22 ₩1,733

-43.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.03

$0.92 ₩1,301

-57.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$3.63 ₩5,157

-30.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$5.83 ₩8,286

-35.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$2.35 ₩3,337

-8.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.5

$3.57 ₩5,077

-49.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.12 ₩4,441

-30.13%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.86 ₩4,063

-21.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$10.59 ₩15.0K

88.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.13 ₩11.6K

-55.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$27.37 ₩38.9K

-50.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$8.46 ₩12.0K

-61.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$3.14 ₩4,458

-47.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$7.33 ₩10.4K

-68.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$5.38 ₩7,642

-61.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$5.03 ₩7,146

-69.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.53

$3.04 ₩4,316

-51.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$2.10 ₩2,983

-53.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.19 ₩1,692

-59.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.25 ₩4,620

33.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿619

$17.37 ₩24.7K

6.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.71 ₩2,429

8.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.5

$3.50 ₩4,973

-24.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.26

$1.07 ₩1,527

32.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.63 ₩5,163

-12.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.40

$0.79 ₩1,117

30.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$16.48 ₩23.4K

-15.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.83

$1.16 ₩1,651

15.52%

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

$27.8K ฿926.8K

$28.2K ₩40.1M

-1.44%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$25.3K ₩36.0M

31.88%

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

$123 ฿4,104

$192 ₩272.4K

-35.78%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$17.09 ₩24.3K

-19.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$27.81 ₩39.5K

-34.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,024

$47.28 ₩67.2K

28.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$11.30 ₩16.1K

-21.50%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$496 ₩704.4K

38.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.2K

$14.3K ₩20.4M

9.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$101 ₩143.7K

-41.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$47.27 ₩67.2K

-26.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,841

$89.5 ₩127.3K

28.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,793

$118 ₩167.3K

-28.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$442 ₩628.7K

40.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$380 ₩539.8K

17.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,091 ₩1.6M

86.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$771 ₩1.1M

94.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,682 ₩2.4M

-70.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.22

26.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Pyeongtaek: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $442 in Pyeongtaek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pyeongtaek pays 241% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Pyeongtaek. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $449, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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 Pyeongtaek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 241% lower in Pyeongtaek. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $442 in Pyeongtaek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $496 in Pyeongtaek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $22.00 in Pyeongtaek. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,484 in Pyeongtaek, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Pyeongtaek. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Pyeongtaek, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Pyeongtaek 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Pyeongtaek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.