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: $1,332 in Suwon versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Suwon versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,920 in Suwon versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Suwon is roughly 5% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Suwon 3% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.89 ₩7,910

$4.66 ฿154

26.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.08 ₩40.4K

$32.22 ฿1,066

-6.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.56 ₩10.1K

$8.68 ฿287

-12.90%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ₩4,573

$2.90 ฿95.9

17.59%

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

$1.60 ₩2,147

$0.84 ฿27.91

90.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₩824

$0.49 ฿16.17

24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.79 ₩5,085

$2.48 ฿82.1

52.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 ₩6,514

$3.73 ฿123

30.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 ₩3,462

$1.89 ฿62.3

36.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 ₩3,402

$1.41 ฿46.58

80.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 ₩4,323

$1.62 ฿53.6

98.77%

Eggs

$3.23 ₩4,338

$2.24 ฿74.1

44.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 ₩14.8K

$19.84 ฿656

-44.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.23 ₩15.1K

$3.48 ฿115

222.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.27 ₩15.1K

$11.37 ฿376

-0.88%

Apples (1kg)

$6.23 ₩8,361

$2.90 ฿95.9

114.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 ₩3,969

$1.72 ฿57.0

72.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.31 ₩7,126

$2.27 ฿75.2

133.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 ₩5,686

$2.13 ฿70.5

99.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.54 ₩4,746

$1.47 ฿48.77

140.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ₩3,490

$1.42 ฿46.96

83.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.94 ₩6,623

$1.10 ฿36.29

349.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,726

$0.60 ฿19.78

115.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 ₩5,122

$4.31 ฿142

-11.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 ₩18.2K

$18.60 ฿615

-26.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₩3,303

$1.80 ฿59.6

36.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ₩4,850

$2.97 ฿98.1

21.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 ₩1,692

$2.25 ฿74.3

-44.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.58 ₩62.5K

$23.49 ฿777

98.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 ₩3,869

$3.10 ฿103

-7.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩806

$1.08 ฿35.59

-44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.03 ₩12.1K

$3.87 ฿128

133.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ₩1,735

$1.43 ฿47.20

-9.79%

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

$27.6K ₩37.0M

$27.8K ฿918.9K

-0.74%

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

$25.0K ₩33.6M

$27.0K ฿892.4K

-7.25%

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

$187 ₩250.7K

$105 ฿3,466

78.26%

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

$17.88 ₩24.0K

$11.39 ฿377

56.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.82 ₩23.9K

$17.54 ฿580

1.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.04 ₩59.1K

$54.3 ฿1,797

-18.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.71 ₩15.7K

$11.44 ฿378

2.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 ₩15.2K

$7.78 ฿257

45.50%

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

$678 ₩910.2K

$576 ฿19.1K

17.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K ₩23.4M

$11.6K ฿383.0K

50.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.49 ₩50.3K

$63.6 ฿2,104

-41.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$108 ₩144.6K

$29.10 ฿962

270.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 ₩99.9K

$96.2 ฿3,182

-22.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 ₩78.3K

$90.0 ฿2,977

-35.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ₩577.5K

$733 ฿24.2K

-41.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$345 ₩462.6K

$501 ฿16.6K

-31.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 ₩1.6M

$2,126 ฿70.3K

-45.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₩1.1M

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-37.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K ₩17.0M

$3,534 ฿116.9K

258.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,124 ₩9.6M

$2,622 ฿86.7K

171.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,511 ₩3.4M

$508 ฿16.8K

394.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

5.57

16.70%

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

Last update for Suwon: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Suwon and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suwon pays 395% 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: $30.00 in Suwon vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $389 vs $275, 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 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 395% higher in Suwon, 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: $430 in Suwon versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $678 in Suwon versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Suwon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,332 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 5% less than in Suwon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.