Cost of Living Comparison Between Suwon and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Suwon and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,361 in Suwon versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Suwon versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,892 in Suwon versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Suwon is roughly 8% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Suwon is 1% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.36 ₩11.2K

$4.56 ฿149

61.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.01 ₩44.1K

$46.63 ฿1,519

-37.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ₩7,692

$8.47 ฿276

-40.14%

Cappuccino

$3.52 ₩5,344

$3.03 ฿98.6

16.17%

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

$1.54 ₩2,342

$0.69 ฿22.45

123.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₩1,027

$0.37 ฿11.92

83.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩5,536

$2.49 ฿81.0

46.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₩6,540

$3.66 ฿119

17.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₩3,424

$2.18 ฿71.0

3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 ₩3,272

$1.90 ฿62.0

13.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 ₩4,851

$2.20 ฿71.6

45.00%

Eggs

$2.36 ₩3,579

$2.22 ฿72.4

6.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 ₩17.0K

$19.99 ฿651

-44.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 ₩16.6K

$3.66 ฿119

198.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.71 ₩17.8K

$13.25 ฿432

-11.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.65 ₩8,573

$3.23 ฿105

74.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 ₩4,400

$1.70 ฿55.3

70.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.42 ₩8,225

$2.39 ฿78.0

126.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,860

$2.08 ฿67.7

22.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.94 ₩5,983

$1.59 ฿51.8

147.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 ₩3,431

$1.48 ฿48.31

52.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 ₩3,835

$1.03 ฿33.54

145.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₩1,394

$0.52 ฿16.83

76.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ₩4,884

$4.25 ฿138

-24.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.88 ₩18.0K

$18.79 ฿612

-36.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₩3,081

$1.76 ฿57.2

15.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₩3,428

$2.76 ฿89.8

-18.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 ₩1,754

$1.36 ฿44.32

-14.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.90 ₩72.7K

$11.36 ฿370

321.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 ₩4,252

$3.14 ฿102

-10.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩860

$1.04 ฿33.74

-45.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩13.2K

$13.77 ฿448

-36.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₩1,823

$1.34 ฿43.79

-10.45%

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

$28.2K ₩42.9M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

2.01%

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

$13.5K ₩20.5M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-60.07%

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

$163 ₩248.2K

$124 ฿4,025

32.23%

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

$34.65 ₩52.6K

$13.52 ฿440

156.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.64 ₩34.4K

$18.69 ฿609

21.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 ₩70.0K

$61.8 ฿2,013

-25.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ₩22.0K

$17.25 ฿562

-16.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.86 ₩16.5K

$9.14 ฿298

18.82%

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

$412 ₩626.2K

$703 ฿22.9K

-41.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K ₩36.3M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

50.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.48 ₩52.4K

$59.5 ฿1,937

-42.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.48 ₩72.1K

$35.07 ฿1,142

35.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 ₩119.2K

$115 ฿3,754

-31.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.57 ₩41.9K

$84.1 ฿2,737

-67.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 ₩671.4K

$619 ฿20.1K

-28.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ₩673.4K

$433 ฿14.1K

2.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ₩1.4M

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-55.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$864 ₩1.3M

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-42.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K ₩16.0M

$3,646 ฿118.7K

189.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,492 ₩9.9M

$2,626 ฿85.5K

147.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,123 ₩3.2M

$507 ฿16.5K

318.82%

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 Suwon: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Suwon and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suwon pays 319% 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: $29.00 in Suwon vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 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

Suwon vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Suwon pays 319% 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: $442 in Suwon versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $412 in Suwon versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Suwon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,361 in Suwon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Suwon. 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 Suwon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Suwon 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 8% less than in Suwon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.