Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pohang and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,362 in Pohang, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Pohang despite lower rent and utilities.

66

Cost of Living Index in Pohang
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Pohang Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Pohang

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,362

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pohang and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pohang and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,362 in Pohang versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Pohang $1,362
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,682 in Pohang versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Pohang $1,682
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,002 in Pohang versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Pohang $2,002
Phuket $2,867

Living in Pohang is roughly 13% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pohang is 1% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 ₩7,857

$4.58 ฿153

29.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.55 ₩30.0K

$32.48 ฿1,086

-30.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 ₩8,675

$8.55 ฿286

-23.74%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ₩4,012

$2.72 ฿91.0

11.03%

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

$1.48 ₩1,967

$0.94 ฿31.25

57.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₩710

$0.49 ฿16.39

8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,836

$2.59 ฿86.6

40.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ₩5,062

$3.83 ฿128

-0.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,142

$1.74 ฿58.1

35.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,319

$1.43 ฿47.82

127.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 ₩1,940

$1.53 ฿51.0

-4.58%

Eggs

$2.73 ₩3,634

$2.17 ฿72.7

25.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 ₩14.6K

$19.15 ฿640

-42.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 ₩13.8K

$3.30 ฿110

213.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.86 ₩33.1K

$11.14 ฿372

123.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ₩2,929

$2.95 ฿98.5

-25.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.61 ₩4,798

$1.68 ฿56.1

114.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$2.30 ฿76.8

243.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 ₩3,879

$2.13 ฿71.3

37.09%

Potato (1kg)

$5.00 ₩6,653

$1.53 ฿51.1

226.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 ₩4,532

$1.36 ฿45.55

150.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 ₩3,015

$1.12 ฿37.44

102.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₩1,785

$0.55 ฿18.24

143.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 ₩4,407

$4.26 ฿142

-22.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 ₩8,631

$18.19 ฿608

-64.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₩2,031

$1.74 ฿58.2

-12.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₩4,638

$2.79 ฿93.3

25.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 ₩4,388

$2.91 ฿97.3

13.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₩766

$1.01 ฿33.79

-42.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 ₩22.1K

$3.83 ฿128

334.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₩1,647

$1.49 ฿49.85

-16.78%

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

$29.5K ₩39.2M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

10.49%

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

$28.4K ₩37.8M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

6.31%

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

$102 ₩136.1K

$99.4 ฿3,321

3.00%

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

$36.26 ₩48.2K

$11.28 ฿377

221.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.84 ₩35.7K

$17.36 ฿580

54.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.38 ₩40.4K

$52.3 ฿1,747

-41.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.43 ₩9,884

$10.85 ฿362

-31.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 ₩15.1K

$7.57 ฿253

50.33%

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

$637 ₩847.5K

$558 ฿18.7K

14.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩29.0M

$11.5K ฿383.9K

89.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ₩139.2K

$62.9 ฿2,102

66.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.3 ₩85.5K

$28.58 ฿955

125.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 ₩122.9K

$96.1 ฿3,213

-3.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₩147.9K

$88.1 ฿2,943

26.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₩594.3K

$460 ฿15.4K

-2.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,990 ₩4.0M

$2,489 ฿83.2K

20.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,240 ₩3.0M

$493 ฿16.5K

354.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.57

-24.24%

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

Last update for Pohang: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pohang

$447 32.8%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 2.9% $13

Groceries & Markets

Pohang

$386 28.3%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 30.6% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Pohang

$168 12.3%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 26% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pohang

$165 12.2%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 22.6% $37

Eating Out

Pohang

$137 10.1%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 11.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Pohang

$53 3.9%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 26.9% $14

Getting Around

Pohang

$6.2 * 0.5%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 529% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Pohang pays 354% 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: $23.00 in Pohang vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $268, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Pohang

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:24 12:24 PM

10:24 10:24 AM

2 h behind Pohang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

514,869

79,308

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

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).

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).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pohang Phuket 4,430 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Pohang
Phuket

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

Pohang vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 354% higher in Pohang, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $637 in Pohang versus $558 in Phuket. 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 $23.00 in Pohang. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,362 in Pohang, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Pohang. 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 Pohang, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Pohang and Phuket 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 13% less than in Pohang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.