Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,742 in Seoul versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,892 in Seoul versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,043 in Seoul versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Seoul is roughly 38% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 30% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.59 ₩13.2K

$4.70 ฿153

82.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.3 ₩83.2K

$45.37 ฿1,482

19.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 ₩9,659

$8.43 ฿275

-25.27%

Cappuccino

$3.88 ₩5,954

$2.93 ฿95.6

32.42%

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

$1.72 ₩2,643

$0.69 ฿22.40

149.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₩1,311

$0.37 ฿11.99

132.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 ₩5,511

$2.41 ฿78.6

49.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩9,101

$3.72 ฿122

59.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ₩3,410

$2.23 ฿72.9

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 ₩5,288

$1.83 ฿59.8

88.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 ₩4,804

$2.17 ฿70.8

44.24%

Eggs

$3.19 ₩4,886

$2.21 ฿72.3

44.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.21 ₩21.8K

$19.74 ฿645

-28.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 ₩16.8K

$3.63 ฿119

202.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.74 ₩53.2K

$13.53 ฿442

156.76%

Apples (1kg)

$7.97 ₩12.2K

$3.28 ฿107

142.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.46 ₩5,307

$1.61 ฿52.6

114.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.43 ₩8,323

$2.41 ฿78.6

125.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.69 ₩10.2K

$2.08 ฿68.1

221.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₩5,830

$1.53 ฿49.93

148.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 ₩4,516

$1.48 ฿48.36

99.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 ₩4,024

$0.99 ฿32.29

165.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₩1,947

$0.51 ฿16.67

149.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ₩4,949

$4.41 ฿144

-26.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.49 ₩29.9K

$19.38 ฿633

0.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,710

$1.78 ฿58.1

35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₩4,977

$2.71 ฿88.6

19.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,710

$1.37 ฿44.79

-18.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.88 ₩73.4K

$11.39 ฿372

320.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 ₩5,458

$3.02 ฿98.6

17.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ₩828

$0.99 ฿32.48

-45.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 ₩13.4K

$14.10 ฿461

-38.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₩1,911

$1.36 ฿44.51

-8.09%

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

$28.3K ₩43.3M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

0.20%

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

$25.3K ₩38.8M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-23.00%

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

$161 ₩246.1K

$122 ฿3,975

31.96%

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

$34.38 ₩52.7K

$13.57 ฿443

153.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.41 ₩34.3K

$18.31 ฿598

22.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 ₩87.3K

$60.2 ฿1,967

-5.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.23 ₩35.6K

$17.14 ฿560

35.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 ₩17.1K

$8.69 ฿284

28.77%

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

$412 ₩631.7K

$693 ฿22.6K

-40.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K ₩36.3M

$15.7K ฿512.3K

50.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 ₩89.9K

$59.5 ฿1,944

-1.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.80 ₩71.7K

$34.77 ฿1,136

34.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ₩120.0K

$115 ฿3,743

-31.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₩175.0K

$83.3 ฿2,720

37.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 ₩1.5M

$613 ฿20.0K

56.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 ₩924.9K

$437 ฿14.3K

38.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,580 ₩4.0M

$2,094 ฿68.4K

23.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₩2.0M

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-13.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K ₩27.9M

$3,749 ฿122.5K

384.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,223 ₩14.1M

$2,616 ฿85.4K

252.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,095 ₩4.7M

$508 ฿16.6K

509.03%

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 Seoul: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Seoul and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 509% 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: $54.0 in Seoul vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Seoul vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Seoul pays 509% 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: $957 in Seoul versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $412 in Seoul versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,742 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Seoul. 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 Seoul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seoul 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 38% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.