Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,848 in Seoul versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Seoul $1,848
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,986 in Seoul versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Seoul $2,986
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,125 in Seoul versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Seoul $4,125
Phuket $3,154

Living in Seoul is roughly 45% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 36% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$4.47 ฿151

102.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.2K

$32.41 ฿1,093

110.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,812

$8.81 ฿297

-16.57%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,498

$2.83 ฿95.4

45.58%

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

$1.64 ₩2,195

$0.87 ฿29.41

88.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,077

$0.49 ฿16.65

65.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,952

$2.56 ฿86.3

44.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,188

$3.68 ฿124

66.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,726

$1.66 ฿55.9

22.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,286

$1.46 ฿49.31

119.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,858

$1.50 ฿50.5

192.67%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,795

$2.09 ฿70.5

71.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.3K

$19.07 ฿643

-4.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.0K

$3.30 ฿111

218.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩35.9K

$10.91 ฿368

146.47%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$2.93 ฿98.9

168.26%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,712

$1.69 ฿57.0

108.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,616

$2.25 ฿75.8

153.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,249

$2.08 ฿70.0

197.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,024

$1.51 ฿51.0

149.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,354

$1.38 ฿46.52

81.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,758

$1.07 ฿35.96

163.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,482

$0.52 ฿17.51

113.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,406

$4.20 ฿142

-21.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩24.9K

$18.79 ฿634

-0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,229

$1.82 ฿61.5

32.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,483

$2.84 ฿95.8

18.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,591

$1.45 ฿48.98

-17.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.6K

$56.7 ฿1,912

-18.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,742

$3.02 ฿102

17.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩806

$1.02 ฿34.33

-41.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.1K

$3.69 ฿125

146.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,920

$1.47 ฿49.76

-2.04%

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

$30.3K ₩40.4M

$26.8K ฿903.4K

13.03%

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

$28.9K ₩38.6M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

8.26%

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

$213 ₩283.7K

$96.4 ฿3,251

120.58%

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

$35.83 ₩47.8K

$11.26 ฿380

218.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.6K

$16.85 ฿568

26.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.3K

$67.2 ฿2,268

-8.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩21.9K

$10.73 ฿362

52.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.2K

$7.50 ฿253

52.27%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$476 ฿16.1K

309.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.4M

$11.3K ฿380.0K

102.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩79.8K

$62.4 ฿2,104

-4.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.7K

$28.41 ฿958

20.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.1K

$94.3 ฿3,181

-30.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩109.3K

$85.8 ฿2,895

-4.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$716 ฿24.2K

29.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩880.0K

$491 ฿16.6K

34.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

$1,927 ฿65.0K

56.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

0.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.3M

$4,175 ฿140.9K

550.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.1M

$3,045 ฿102.7K

270.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$502 ฿16.9K

610.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.57

-26.75%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 25.5% $168

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 44.9% $217

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 53.9% $145

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 34% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 12% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 2.6% $2.2

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 22.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $924 in Seoul and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays about 7.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Seoul vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $483 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

09:27 9:27 AM

2 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Phuket 4,380 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
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

Seoul vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Seoul is about 7.1 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: $924 in Seoul versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,948 in Seoul versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,848 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.

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