Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sangju and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $1,377 in Sangju, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Sangju despite lower rent and utilities.

67

Cost of Living Index in Sangju
Learn more

Sangju Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Sangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,377

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,377 in Sangju versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Sangju $1,377
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Sangju versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Sangju $2,181
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,984 in Sangju versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Sangju $2,984
Phuket $3,115

Living in Sangju is roughly 6% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sangju is 2% above, Phuket is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.13 ₩8,221

$4.39 ฿147

39.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.02 ₩45.6K

$32.31 ฿1,085

5.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.72 ₩9,005

$8.70 ฿292

-22.76%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₩4,771

$2.72 ฿91.5

30.88%

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

$1.52 ₩2,037

$0.93 ฿31.25

63.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₩827

$0.50 ฿16.78

24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 ₩4,664

$2.53 ฿85.0

37.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₩5,902

$3.63 ฿122

21.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ₩2,917

$1.74 ฿58.4

25.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₩4,090

$1.45 ฿48.73

110.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 ₩3,600

$1.50 ฿50.5

79.33%

Eggs

$3.24 ₩4,342

$2.17 ฿73.0

49.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.65 ₩21.0K

$19.09 ฿641

-18.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.1K

$3.40 ฿114

209.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 ₩14.7K

$10.90 ฿366

0.64%

Apples (1kg)

$6.91 ₩9,263

$2.94 ฿98.8

135.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,398

$1.69 ฿56.8

50.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 ₩5,863

$2.19 ฿73.7

99.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.13 ₩9,564

$2.12 ฿71.4

236.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 ₩4,393

$1.46 ฿48.99

124.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 ₩3,588

$1.37 ฿45.95

95.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 ₩2,688

$1.08 ฿36.14

86.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₩1,691

$0.55 ฿18.32

129.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 ₩4,355

$4.43 ฿149

-26.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.72 ₩18.4K

$18.25 ฿613

-24.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₩3,142

$1.77 ฿59.5

32.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₩4,910

$2.88 ฿96.8

27.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ₩1,363

$1.45 ฿48.62

-29.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,823

$1.51 ฿50.8

138.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩815

$0.78 ฿26.06

-21.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.78 ₩11.8K

$3.84 ฿129

128.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,810

$1.49 ฿49.96

-9.40%

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

$29.0K ₩38.8M

$26.9K ฿902.9K

7.75%

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

$35.8K ₩48.0M

$26.3K ฿884.9K

35.85%

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

$210 ₩282.1K

$97.8 ฿3,285

115.14%

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

$42.49 ₩57.0K

$11.29 ฿379

276.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.41 ₩27.4K

$17.19 ฿577

18.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.18 ₩64.6K

$68.3 ฿2,295

-29.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.82 ₩17.2K

$10.92 ฿367

17.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.07 ₩14.8K

$7.43 ฿250

48.99%

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

$303 ₩406.2K

$530 ฿17.8K

-42.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₩23.3M

$18.8K ฿630.9K

-7.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ₩86.0K

$61.7 ฿2,072

4.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.0 ₩84.4K

$28.25 ฿949

122.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ₩101.1K

$96.0 ฿3,225

-21.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 ₩133.1K

$86.8 ฿2,916

14.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 ₩638.4K

$721 ฿24.2K

-33.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 ₩461.0K

$509 ฿17.1K

-32.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 ₩1.8M

$1,950 ฿65.5K

-32.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₩1.1M

$1,397 ฿46.9K

-41.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,815 ₩9.1M

$4,192 ฿140.8K

62.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,434 ₩7.3M

$3,298 ฿110.8K

64.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,470 ₩2.0M

$492 ฿16.5K

199.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

5.57

-26.39%

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

Last update for Sangju: November 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sangju

$396 28.8%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 32.6% $129

Accommodation & Living

Sangju

$344 25%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 48% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sangju

$273 19.9%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 53.8% $147

Eating Out

Sangju

$147 10.7%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 18.5% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Sangju

$136 9.9%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 9.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Sangju

$70 5.1%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 18.3% $13

Getting Around

Sangju

$11 * 0.8%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 517% $55

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 $476 in Sangju and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sangju pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34 in Sangju vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $267 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Sangju

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

13:19 1:19 PM

2 h behind Sangju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,947

79,308

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,509 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sangju Phuket 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sangju
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

Sangju vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 6% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Sangju is about 3 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: $476 in Sangju versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Sangju versus $530 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 versus $34 in Sangju. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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, Sangju 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, Sangju on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.