Cost of Living Comparison Between Seongnam and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Seongnam and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,664 in Seongnam versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,474 in Seongnam versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,283 in Seongnam versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Seongnam is roughly 32% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seongnam is 25% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.81 ₩8,359

$4.48 ฿150

29.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.83 ₩60.2K

$45.59 ฿1,521

-8.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.43 ₩6,376

$8.76 ฿292

-49.43%

Cappuccino

$3.97 ₩5,705

$2.97 ฿99.0

33.67%

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

$1.53 ₩2,199

$0.69 ฿22.90

121.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,138

$0.39 ฿13.04

102.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 ₩3,806

$2.53 ฿84.4

4.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 ₩5,151

$3.75 ฿125

-4.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₩3,074

$2.15 ฿71.6

-0.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 ₩2,962

$1.82 ฿60.6

13.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 ₩4,522

$2.18 ฿72.9

44.04%

Eggs

$3.19 ₩4,588

$2.25 ฿75.0

41.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 ₩13.4K

$20.00 ฿667

-53.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.81 ₩11.2K

$3.63 ฿121

115.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.54 ₩48.2K

$13.56 ฿452

147.35%

Apples (1kg)

$7.50 ₩10.8K

$3.24 ฿108

131.48%

Banana (1kg)

$3.46 ₩4,976

$1.64 ฿54.6

110.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 ₩8,113

$2.33 ฿77.8

142.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 ₩9,490

$2.07 ฿69.1

218.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 ₩5,044

$1.55 ฿51.6

126.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 ₩4,102

$1.46 ฿48.54

95.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 ₩3,604

$0.98 ฿32.86

156.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₩1,382

$0.48 ฿16.09

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ₩4,878

$4.35 ฿145

-22.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.05 ₩24.5K

$18.57 ฿620

-8.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₩2,662

$1.86 ฿61.9

-0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₩2,671

$2.65 ฿88.6

-29.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,575

$1.42 ฿47.28

-22.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₩5,228

$3.17 ฿106

14.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ₩769

$1.03 ฿34.41

-48.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.89 ₩12.8K

$13.89 ฿463

-36.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₩1,708

$1.34 ฿44.84

-11.19%

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

$27.2K ₩39.1M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-2.13%

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

$25.2K ₩36.2M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-24.54%

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

$167 ₩239.5K

$123 ฿4,105

35.35%

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

$34.40 ₩49.5K

$13.77 ฿459

149.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.95 ₩31.6K

$18.33 ฿611

19.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.71 ₩68.6K

$60.7 ฿2,025

-21.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 ₩16.1K

$8.87 ฿296

26.27%

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

$413 ₩593.6K

$688 ฿22.9K

-40.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K ₩33.4M

$15.8K ฿526.4K

47.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 ₩83.5K

$59.3 ฿1,978

-2.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.33 ₩68.1K

$34.69 ฿1,157

36.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₩115.7K

$115 ฿3,843

-30.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ₩169.0K

$83.8 ฿2,794

40.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 ₩636.4K

$621 ฿20.7K

-28.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 ₩964.7K

$446 ฿14.9K

50.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 ₩1.5M

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-47.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 ₩1.5M

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-32.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,307 ₩10.5M

$3,455 ฿115.3K

111.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,184 ₩7.5M

$2,531 ฿84.4K

104.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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 Seongnam: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Seongnam and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Seongnam vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $434 vs $291, 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

Seongnam vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,496 in Seongnam and $1,896 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $442 in Seongnam versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $413 in Seongnam versus $688 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 $46.00 versus $42.00 in Seongnam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,664 in Seongnam, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Seongnam. 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 Seongnam, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seongnam 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 32% less than in Seongnam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.