Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Songdo-dong Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Songdo-dong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,430 in Songdo-dong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,299 in Songdo-dong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,169 in Songdo-dong.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 14% less than in Songdo-dong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Songdo-dong is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.42 ₩11.0K

-37.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$54.0 ₩80.1K

-13.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.20 ₩9,190

42.58%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.58 ₩5,318

-16.20%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.11 ₩1,649

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.69 ₩1,031

-46.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.85 ₩4,232

-14.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$5.89 ₩8,741

-38.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.15 ₩3,184

5.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$3.41 ₩5,065

-46.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$3.24 ₩4,810

-30.86%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.08 ₩4,563

-24.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$14.22 ₩21.1K

38.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$8.21 ₩12.2K

-55.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$33.60 ₩49.8K

-61.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.57 ₩5,298

-5.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.88 ₩4,267

-43.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$5.63 ₩8,354

-57.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$6.56 ₩9,737

-69.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.50 ₩3,712

-37.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.59 ₩3,843

-42.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.51 ₩3,720

-59.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.15 ₩1,709

-57.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.36 ₩4,980

32.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$13.71 ₩20.3K

37.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.25 ₩3,338

-20.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.22 ₩4,777

-14.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.89 ₩1,327

57.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.51 ₩5,211

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.56 ₩833

78.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$8.93 ₩13.2K

57.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.19 ₩1,769

13.45%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$28.2K ₩41.9M

-3.66%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.7K ₩36.6M

33.50%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$161 ₩239.2K

-22.48%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$35.48 ₩52.6K

-61.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$22.37 ₩33.2K

-17.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$74.4 ₩110.4K

-17.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$10.81 ₩16.0K

-14.99%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$373 ₩553.0K

87.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$23.7K ₩35.2M

-34.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$60.1 ₩89.1K

-3.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$48.37 ₩71.7K

-27.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$37.05 ₩55.0K

205.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$118 ₩175.6K

-27.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$452 ₩670.7K

36.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$372 ₩552.3K

19.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,097 ₩1.6M

86.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$780 ₩1.2M

91.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$3,149 ₩4.7M

-83.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.14

28.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Songdo-dong: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $452 in Songdo-dong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Songdo-dong pays 501% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $54.0 in Songdo-dong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $437 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Songdo-dong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Songdo-dong earns 501% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $452 in Songdo-dong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $373 in Songdo-dong. 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 $47.00 versus $54.0 in Songdo-dong. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,430 in Songdo-dong, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Songdo-dong. 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 Songdo-dong, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Songdo-dong 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 16% less than in Songdo-dong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.