Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wonju Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wonju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,485 in Wonju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,302 in Wonju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,119 in Wonju.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Wonju is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$7.36 ₩11.2K

-38.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$37.47 ₩56.9K

24.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.89 ₩8,947

43.80%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$4.15 ₩6,306

-26.99%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.83 ₩2,777

-62.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.34 ₩2,042

-72.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$3.58 ₩5,439

-30.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.95 ₩9,035

-38.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.27 ₩3,441

-3.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$3.58 ₩5,443

-46.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.98 ₩4,520

-26.17%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.00 ₩4,560

-26.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$10.65 ₩16.2K

87.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$8.45 ₩12.8K

-56.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$27.16 ₩41.2K

-51.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$8.65 ₩13.1K

-62.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$3.17 ₩4,816

-46.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$7.19 ₩10.9K

-66.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$5.21 ₩7,909

-60.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$5.21 ₩7,915

-69.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$3.01 ₩4,572

-50.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.04 ₩3,102

-49.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.15 ₩1,753

-54.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.40 ₩5,162

25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$16.60 ₩25.2K

13.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.77 ₩2,688

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$3.49 ₩5,297

-20.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.08 ₩1,638

25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.54 ₩5,378

-11.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.85 ₩1,285

22.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$16.73 ₩25.4K

-17.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.21 ₩1,836

10.74%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$28.0K ₩42.5M

-1.21%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$24.6K ₩37.4M

37.60%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$187 ₩283.8K

-33.86%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$49.84 ₩75.7K

-72.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$27.68 ₩42.0K

-32.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$47.59 ₩72.3K

29.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$11.62 ₩17.6K

-21.34%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$478 ₩726.2K

46.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$14.1K ₩21.4M

12.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$102 ₩154.2K

-41.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$47.52 ₩72.2K

-26.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$88.4 ₩134.3K

30.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$119 ₩180.4K

-29.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$449 ₩681.7K

37.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$378 ₩574.1K

14.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,055 ₩1.6M

95.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$772 ₩1.2M

95.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$9,352 ₩14.2M

-61.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$4,594 ₩7.0M

-42.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Wonju: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $449 in Wonju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Wonju. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $448, 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 Wonju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $2,228 in Wonju to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $449 in Wonju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $478 in Wonju. 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 $37.00 in Wonju. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,485 in Wonju, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wonju. 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 Wonju, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Wonju 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 18% less than in Wonju. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.