Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ulsan

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,339 in Ulsan, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Ulsan despite lower rent and utilities.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Ulsan
Learn more

Ulsan Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Ulsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ulsan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,339 in Ulsan.

Phuket $1,207
Ulsan $1,339

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $2,185 in Ulsan.

Phuket $2,037
Ulsan $2,185

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $3,030 in Ulsan.

Phuket $2,867
Ulsan $3,030

Living in Phuket costs roughly 10% less than in Ulsan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Ulsan 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$7.62 ₩10.1K

-39.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$44.63 ₩59.3K

-27.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$5.93 ₩7,882

44.18%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$3.32 ₩4,410

-18.07%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.88 ₩1,175

6.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.47 ₩619

4.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$3.01 ₩4,006

-13.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.38 ₩5,826

-12.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$2.36 ₩3,139

-26.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$3.25 ₩4,315

-56.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$3.16 ₩4,207

-51.58%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.73 ₩3,634

-20.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$10.88 ₩14.5K

76.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$10.63 ₩14.1K

-68.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$24.54 ₩32.6K

-54.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$11.39 ₩15.1K

-74.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$3.74 ₩4,975

-55.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$8.09 ₩10.8K

-71.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$6.05 ₩8,048

-64.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$6.01 ₩7,992

-74.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$3.26 ₩4,328

-58.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$2.89 ₩3,844

-61.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.28 ₩1,707

-57.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.12 ₩4,154

36.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$18.52 ₩24.6K

-1.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$2.45 ₩3,264

-28.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$3.44 ₩4,577

-18.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$1.14 ₩1,511

94.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$2.89 ₩3,849

0.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.78 ₩1,040

29.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$16.96 ₩22.6K

-77.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.43 ₩1,899

4.20%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$30.0K ₩39.9M

-11.11%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$34.1K ₩45.4M

-21.75%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$197 ₩261.8K

-49.53%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$37.06 ₩49.3K

-69.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$27.21 ₩36.2K

-36.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$60.4 ₩80.3K

-13.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$10.30 ₩13.7K

-26.50%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$263 ₩349.3K

112.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$22.0K ₩29.3M

-47.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$51.5 ₩68.5K

22.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$45.56 ₩60.6K

-37.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$61.0 ₩81.2K

57.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$75.0 ₩99.7K

17.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$373 ₩495.3K

95.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$244 ₩324.7K

88.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$761 ₩1.0M

175.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$648 ₩861.8K

88.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$4,483 ₩6.0M

-22.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$2,479 ₩3.3M

0.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$2,331 ₩3.1M

-78.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.22

31.99%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ulsan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Ulsan

$244 18.2% 46.9% $216

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Ulsan

$489 36.5% 82.7% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Ulsan

$261 19.5% 104% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Ulsan

$105 7.8% 15.4% $19

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Ulsan

$148 11% 21.8% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Ulsan

$81 6.1% 20.2% $14

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Ulsan

$11 * 0.9% 70.8% $28

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 $729 in Phuket and $373 in Ulsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulsan pays 373% 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 $45.00 in Ulsan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $489 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇷 Ulsan

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

05:59 5:59 AM

2 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,129,827

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Ulsan 4,400 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ulsan

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 Ulsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 373% lower in Ulsan. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $373 in Ulsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $263 in Ulsan. 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 $32.00 versus $45.00 in Ulsan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,339 in Ulsan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ulsan. 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 Ulsan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ulsan 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 11% less than in Ulsan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.