Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yongin

For one person, living is cheaper in Yongin: $1,044 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Yongin

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,044

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Yongin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,044 in Yongin.

Phuket $1,278
Yongin $1,044

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,585 in Yongin.

Phuket $2,216
Yongin $1,585

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,126 in Yongin.

Phuket $3,154
Yongin $2,126

Living in Phuket is roughly 22% more expensive than in Yongin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Yongin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$6.17 ₩8,276

-27.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$26.36 ₩35.3K

22.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.70 ₩8,987

31.49%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$3.62 ₩4,858

-21.82%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$1.56 ₩2,086

-44.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.63 ₩851

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$3.52 ₩4,718

-27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.41 ₩5,911

-16.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.16 ₩1,555

43.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$3.18 ₩4,258

-54.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$2.28 ₩3,053

-34.21%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$2.38 ₩3,190

-12.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$16.08 ₩21.5K

18.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$8.14 ₩10.9K

-59.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.27 ₩15.1K

-3.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$7.89 ₩10.6K

-62.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$3.20 ₩4,287

-47.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$7.37 ₩9,881

-69.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$7.12 ₩9,542

-70.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$3.59 ₩4,815

-57.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$2.39 ₩3,210

-42.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$2.06 ₩2,761

-48.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$1.49 ₩2,003

-65.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.35 ₩4,485

25.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$18.84 ₩25.3K

-0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.29 ₩3,066

-20.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.77 ₩5,049

-19.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.62 ₩836

64.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.37 ₩1,841

7.30%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$29.9K ₩40.1M

-10.57%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$36.2K ₩48.5M

-26.20%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$214 ₩286.9K

-54.99%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$43.25 ₩58.0K

-73.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$21.16 ₩28.4K

-20.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$52.2 ₩69.9K

28.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$11.15 ₩14.9K

-32.74%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$298 ₩400.0K

59.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$17.8K ₩23.8M

-36.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$65.4 ₩87.7K

-4.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$63.2 ₩84.7K

-55.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$74.4 ₩99.7K

26.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$100 ₩134.5K

-14.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.1

35.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Yongin: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Yongin

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Yongin

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Yongin

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Yongin

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Yongin

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Yongin

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Yongin

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $26 in Yongin. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $399, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇷 Yongin

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

14:25 2:25 PM

2 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,004,081

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Yongin 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Yongin

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 Yongin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yongin is about 18% cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,566 in Yongin 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.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $298 in Yongin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Yongin – a meal for two runs $26 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Yongin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Yongin are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.