Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pyeongtaek and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,452 in Pyeongtaek, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Pyeongtaek despite lower rent and utilities.

70

Cost of Living Index in Pyeongtaek
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Pyeongtaek Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Pyeongtaek

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,452

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pyeongtaek 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 Pyeongtaek and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,452 in Pyeongtaek versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Pyeongtaek $1,452
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,876 in Pyeongtaek versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Pyeongtaek $2,876
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,300 in Pyeongtaek versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Pyeongtaek $4,300
Phuket $3,154

Living in Pyeongtaek is roughly 14% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.49 ₩9,993

$4.47 ฿151

67.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.56 ₩30.1K

$32.41 ฿1,093

-30.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ₩6,442

$8.81 ฿297

-45.18%

Cappuccino

$3.62 ₩4,834

$2.83 ฿95.4

27.92%

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

$1.28 ₩1,716

$0.87 ฿29.41

47.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₩1,175

$0.49 ฿16.65

79.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 ₩4,907

$2.56 ฿86.3

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₩5,816

$3.68 ฿124

18.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 ₩3,061

$1.66 ฿55.9

37.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 ₩4,398

$1.46 ฿49.31

125.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 ₩4,249

$1.50 ฿50.5

112.00%

Eggs

$2.62 ₩3,500

$2.09 ฿70.5

25.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 ₩15.1K

$19.07 ฿643

-40.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 ₩13.9K

$3.30 ฿111

215.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.15 ₩33.6K

$10.91 ฿368

130.52%

Apples (1kg)

$11.18 ₩14.9K

$2.93 ฿98.9

281.57%

Banana (1kg)

$3.72 ₩4,965

$1.69 ฿57.0

120.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.24 ₩11.0K

$2.25 ฿75.8

266.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.09 ₩8,129

$2.08 ฿70.0

192.79%

Potato (1kg)

$6.03 ₩8,049

$1.51 ฿51.0

299.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 ₩4,370

$1.38 ฿46.52

136.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 ₩3,669

$1.07 ฿35.96

157.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₩1,814

$0.52 ฿17.51

161.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.47 ₩4,636

$4.20 ฿142

-17.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.22 ₩25.7K

$18.79 ฿634

2.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 ₩3,342

$1.82 ฿61.5

37.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 ₩4,559

$2.84 ฿95.8

20.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 ₩1,683

$1.45 ฿48.98

-13.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.32 ₩61.8K

$56.7 ฿1,912

-18.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₩4,861

$3.02 ฿102

20.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₩793

$1.02 ฿34.33

-42.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.26 ₩12.4K

$3.69 ฿125

150.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,891

$1.47 ฿49.76

-3.40%

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

$15.1K ₩20.2M

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-43.52%

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

$15.3K ₩20.5M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-42.53%

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

$201 ₩268.8K

$96.4 ฿3,251

108.96%

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

$17.22 ₩23.0K

$11.26 ฿380

52.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.6K

$16.85 ฿568

62.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 ₩15.9K

$7.50 ฿253

58.93%

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

$634 ₩846.4K

$476 ฿16.1K

33.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K ₩29.0M

$11.3K ฿380.0K

92.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 ₩143.1K

$62.4 ฿2,104

71.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 ₩86.5K

$28.41 ฿958

127.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ₩128.2K

$94.3 ฿3,181

1.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩173.0K

$85.8 ฿2,895

50.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 ₩699.5K

$716 ฿24.2K

-26.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 ₩401.1K

$491 ฿16.6K

-38.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,905 ₩2.5M

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-1.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,905 ₩2.5M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

33.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,912 ₩2.6M

$502 ฿16.9K

280.70%

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 Pyeongtaek: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pyeongtaek

$492 33.9%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 45.9% $226

Accommodation & Living

Pyeongtaek

$300 20.7%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 63.4% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pyeongtaek

$246 16.9%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 49.4% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Pyeongtaek

$179 12.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 31.9% $57

Eating Out

Pyeongtaek

$154 10.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 20.7% $32

Getting Around

Pyeongtaek

$58 4%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 21.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Pyeongtaek

$24 * 1.6%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 245% $58

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 $524 in Pyeongtaek and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pyeongtaek pays about 3.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Pyeongtaek vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $492 vs $266, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Pyeongtaek

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:15 7:15 AM

05:15 5:15 AM

2 h behind Pyeongtaek

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

489,081

79,308

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pyeongtaek Phuket 4,340 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Pyeongtaek
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

Pyeongtaek vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Pyeongtaek is about 3.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $524 in Pyeongtaek versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $634 in Pyeongtaek versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Pyeongtaek. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Pyeongtaek on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.