Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pyongyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $414 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
12

Cost of Living Index in Pyongyang
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Pyongyang Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$414

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Pyongyang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $414 in Pyongyang.

Phuket $1,208
Pyongyang $414

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $672 in Pyongyang.

Phuket $2,027
Pyongyang $672

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $930 in Pyongyang.

Phuket $2,845
Pyongyang $930

Living in Phuket is roughly 192% more expensive than in Pyongyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Pyongyang 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$4.81 $4.81

-8.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$35.65 $35.65

-9.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$21.06 $21.06

-58.40%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.09 $1.09

159.63%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$2.25 $2.25

-60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$1.24 $1.24

-62.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$13.23 $13.23

-80.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.84 $4.84

-20.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$0.97 $0.97

78.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$2.30 $2.30

-36.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.89 $0.89

69.66%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.97 $1.97

10.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

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

$11.04 ฿369

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$74.8 $74.8

-30.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

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

$556 ฿18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$88.8 $88.8

730.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$90.4 $90.4

411.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$133 $133

799.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$244 $244

105.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Pyongyang: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Pyongyang

$90 21.8% 80.5% $372

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Pyongyang

$44 * 10.7% 83.6% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Pyongyang

$205 49.4% 68.7% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Pyongyang

$75 * 18.1% 10.3% $7

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $88.8 in Pyongyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 106% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Pyongyang. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $44.00, with Pyongyang cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🕒 Local time

03:03 3:03 AM

05:03 5:03 AM

2 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

3,255,288 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Pyongyang 4,410 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Pyongyang

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 Pyongyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pyongyang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 192% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 106% higher in Phuket, 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: $737 in Phuket versus $88.8 in Pyongyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 508% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pyongyang – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $414 in Pyongyang versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pyongyang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pyongyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Pyongyang 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 Pyongyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 192% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.