Cost of Living Comparison Between Sacheon and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sacheon and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,420 in Sacheon versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Sacheon versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,934 in Sacheon versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Sacheon is roughly 13% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.19 ₩10.9K

$4.56 ฿149

57.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.72 ₩55.8K

$46.63 ฿1,519

-21.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ₩8,144

$8.47 ฿276

-36.72%

Cappuccino

$3.81 ₩5,780

$3.03 ฿98.6

25.74%

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

$1.54 ₩2,338

$0.69 ฿22.45

123.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,204

$0.37 ฿11.92

113.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 ₩4,897

$2.49 ฿81.0

29.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 ₩7,597

$3.66 ฿119

36.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₩3,413

$2.18 ฿71.0

3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₩4,686

$1.90 ฿62.0

62.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 ₩4,590

$2.20 ฿71.6

37.27%

Eggs

$2.87 ₩4,355

$2.22 ฿72.4

29.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 ₩15.8K

$19.99 ฿651

-47.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 ₩12.7K

$3.66 ฿119

127.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.03 ₩42.6K

$13.25 ฿432

111.55%

Apples (1kg)

$7.94 ₩12.1K

$3.23 ฿105

145.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 ₩4,883

$1.70 ฿55.3

89.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.73 ₩8,696

$2.39 ฿78.0

139.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 ₩7,849

$2.08 ฿67.7

148.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 ₩5,922

$1.59 ฿51.8

145.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 ₩4,478

$1.48 ฿48.31

99.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 ₩3,358

$1.03 ฿33.54

114.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,766

$0.52 ฿16.83

123.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ₩4,905

$4.25 ฿138

-24.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.53 ₩25.1K

$18.79 ฿612

-12.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₩2,840

$1.76 ฿57.2

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 ₩5,063

$2.76 ฿89.8

20.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,673

$1.36 ฿44.32

-19.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₩5,428

$3.14 ฿102

13.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩872

$1.04 ฿33.74

-45.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.58 ₩13.0K

$13.77 ฿448

-37.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₩1,842

$1.34 ฿43.79

-9.70%

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

$27.3K ₩41.4M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-1.47%

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

$24.9K ₩37.8M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-26.50%

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

$165 ₩250.1K

$124 ฿4,025

33.27%

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

$34.30 ₩52.1K

$13.52 ฿440

153.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 ₩34.3K

$18.69 ฿609

20.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.89 ₩71.2K

$61.8 ฿2,013

-24.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$11.22 ₩17.0K

$9.14 ฿298

22.76%

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

$412 ₩625.6K

$703 ฿22.9K

-41.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K ₩36.3M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

50.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 ₩89.6K

$59.5 ฿1,937

-0.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.82 ₩71.1K

$35.07 ฿1,142

33.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 ₩121.9K

$115 ฿3,754

-30.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ₩177.7K

$84.1 ฿2,737

39.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 ₩683.9K

$619 ฿20.1K

-27.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 ₩572.3K

$433 ฿14.1K

-12.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 ₩1.6M

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-47.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$782 ₩1.2M

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-48.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K ₩15.6M

$3,646 ฿118.7K

182.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,982 ₩9.1M

$2,626 ฿85.5K

127.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,304 ₩2.0M

$507 ฿16.5K

157.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

5.33

-22.33%

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

Last update for Sacheon: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $450 in Sacheon and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sacheon pays 157% 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: $37.00 in Sacheon vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $431 vs $293, 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

Sacheon vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sacheon pays 157% more on average, 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: $450 in Sacheon versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $412 in Sacheon versus $703 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 $47.00 versus $37.00 in Sacheon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,420 in Sacheon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sacheon. 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 Sacheon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sacheon 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 Sacheon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.