Cost of Living Comparison Between Seogwipo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Seogwipo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,380 in Seogwipo versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Seogwipo versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,987 in Seogwipo versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Seogwipo is roughly 9% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seogwipo is 3% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.18 ₩10.9K

$4.56 ฿149

57.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.12 ₩56.4K

$46.63 ฿1,519

-20.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 ₩8,403

$8.47 ฿276

-34.71%

Cappuccino

$3.87 ₩5,882

$3.03 ฿98.6

27.72%

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

$1.58 ₩2,405

$0.69 ฿22.45

128.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,223

$0.37 ฿11.92

118.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 ₩4,897

$2.49 ฿81.0

29.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.05 ₩7,663

$3.66 ฿119

37.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ₩3,372

$2.18 ฿71.0

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 ₩4,550

$1.90 ฿62.0

57.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 ₩4,500

$2.20 ฿71.6

34.55%

Eggs

$2.92 ₩4,439

$2.22 ฿72.4

31.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 ₩15.7K

$19.99 ฿651

-48.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 ₩12.5K

$3.66 ฿119

125.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.90 ₩42.4K

$13.25 ฿432

110.57%

Apples (1kg)

$7.93 ₩12.0K

$3.23 ฿105

145.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 ₩4,737

$1.70 ฿55.3

83.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.68 ₩8,623

$2.39 ฿78.0

137.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 ₩7,933

$2.08 ฿67.7

150.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₩5,852

$1.59 ฿51.8

142.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 ₩4,510

$1.48 ฿48.31

100.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 ₩3,430

$1.03 ฿33.54

119.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₩1,840

$0.52 ฿16.83

132.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 ₩4,936

$4.25 ฿138

-23.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.35 ₩24.8K

$18.79 ฿612

-12.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₩2,777

$1.76 ฿57.2

3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₩4,849

$2.76 ฿89.8

15.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,692

$1.36 ฿44.32

-18.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 ₩5,318

$3.14 ฿102

11.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩872

$1.04 ฿33.74

-45.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.60 ₩13.1K

$13.77 ฿448

-37.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₩1,829

$1.34 ฿43.79

-10.45%

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

$27.8K ₩42.2M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

0.42%

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

$24.7K ₩37.6M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-26.95%

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

$160 ₩243.7K

$124 ฿4,025

29.83%

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

$35.18 ₩53.4K

$13.52 ฿440

160.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.32 ₩33.9K

$18.69 ฿609

19.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.36 ₩73.4K

$61.8 ฿2,013

-21.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 ₩16.9K

$9.14 ฿298

21.55%

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

$418 ₩635.1K

$703 ฿22.9K

-40.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K ₩35.7M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

48.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 ₩91.2K

$59.5 ฿1,937

0.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.04 ₩72.9K

$35.07 ฿1,142

36.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₩122.9K

$115 ฿3,754

-29.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ₩179.8K

$84.1 ฿2,737

40.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₩682.3K

$619 ฿20.1K

-27.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 ₩578.6K

$433 ฿14.1K

-11.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 ₩1.6M

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-47.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 ₩1.2M

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-48.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,475 ₩14.4M

$3,646 ฿118.7K

159.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,179 ₩7.9M

$2,626 ฿85.5K

97.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 ₩1.5M

$507 ฿16.5K

90.34%

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 Seogwipo: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $449 in Seogwipo and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seogwipo pays 90% 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 Seogwipo vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $428 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

Seogwipo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Seogwipo pays 90% 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: $449 in Seogwipo versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $418 in Seogwipo 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 Seogwipo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,380 in Seogwipo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Seogwipo. 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 Seogwipo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seogwipo 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 9% less than in Seogwipo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.