Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ulsan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ulsan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,428 in Ulsan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,216 in Ulsan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,004 in Ulsan.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 12% less than in Ulsan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Ulsan is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.75 ₩9,952

-32.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$29.58 ₩43.6K

56.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.77 ₩7,041

85.32%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.06 ₩4,511

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.12 ₩1,651

-34.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.38 ₩562

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.62 ₩3,866

-7.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.33 ₩4,911

13.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.75 ₩2,578

29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.25 ₩3,313

-19.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.80 ₩2,651

25.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.99 ₩4,417

-24.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.35 ₩15.3K

88.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$8.31 ₩12.3K

-56.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$27.98 ₩41.3K

-53.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$7.10 ₩10.5K

-54.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$3.12 ₩4,610

-48.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$7.42 ₩10.9K

-67.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$4.53 ₩6,690

-55.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$3.59 ₩5,295

-57.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.39 ₩3,531

-37.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$2.03 ₩2,998

-51.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.87 ₩1,282

-40.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.34 ₩4,922

32.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$16.64 ₩24.6K

10.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.69 ₩2,490

10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$3.38 ₩4,988

-20.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.93 ₩1,373

51.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.47 ₩3,641

25.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.84 ₩1,234

23.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$16.48 ₩24.3K

-14.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.22 ₩1,801

7.38%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$27.6K ₩40.8M

0.65%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$24.8K ₩36.5M

34.12%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$193 ₩284.8K

-36.58%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$50.1 ₩73.9K

-72.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$28.02 ₩41.3K

-33.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$60.0 ₩88.4K

0.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$10.40 ₩15.3K

-12.79%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$262 ₩386.1K

169.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$14.0K ₩20.7M

12.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$101 ₩149.1K

-42.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$47.02 ₩69.4K

-24.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$89.3 ₩131.8K

29.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$115 ₩170.2K

-27.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$277 ₩408.8K

125.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$370 ₩546.3K

20.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,051 ₩1.6M

94.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$760 ₩1.1M

96.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$4,065 ₩6.0M

-14.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,374 ₩3.5M

8.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$2,011 ₩3.0M

-75.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

33.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ulsan: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $277 in Ulsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulsan pays 302% 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 $30.00 in Ulsan. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $405, 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 Ulsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 302% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $277 in Ulsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $262 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 $46.00 versus $30.00 in Ulsan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,428 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 14% less than in Ulsan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.