Cost of Living Comparison Between Uijeongbu and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Uijeongbu and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,283 in Uijeongbu versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,031 in Uijeongbu versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,779 in Uijeongbu versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Uijeongbu is roughly 2% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Uijeongbu 4% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.01 ₩8,767

$4.53 ฿152

32.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 ₩79.7K

$46.36 ฿1,558

17.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.84 ₩8,529

$8.65 ฿291

-32.49%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ₩4,973

$3.09 ฿104

10.36%

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

$1.09 ₩1,585

$0.68 ฿22.79

60.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,163

$0.37 ฿12.38

116.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ₩3,143

$2.42 ฿81.2

-11.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ₩4,350

$3.81 ฿128

-21.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ₩3,252

$2.18 ฿73.2

2.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 ₩4,930

$1.82 ฿61.1

85.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 ₩4,695

$2.18 ฿73.2

47.71%

Eggs

$3.12 ₩4,550

$2.24 ฿75.1

39.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.44 ₩21.1K

$19.93 ฿670

-27.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 ₩15.9K

$3.64 ฿122

199.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.52 ₩50.4K

$13.56 ฿456

154.57%

Apples (1kg)

$7.99 ₩11.7K

$3.29 ฿111

142.86%

Banana (1kg)

$3.45 ₩5,035

$1.69 ฿56.6

104.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 ₩8,083

$2.33 ฿78.4

137.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ₩9,327

$2.03 ฿68.1

214.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₩5,553

$1.60 ฿53.8

137.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 ₩4,185

$1.49 ฿50.2

92.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 ₩3,839

$1.01 ฿34.02

160.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,679

$0.48 ฿16.02

139.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.21 ₩4,690

$4.45 ฿150

-27.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.14 ₩25.0K

$18.63 ฿626

-8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₩3,453

$1.79 ฿60.0

32.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,904

$2.80 ฿94.0

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 ₩1,557

$1.42 ฿47.69

-24.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 ₩5,011

$3.09 ฿104

11.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩825

$1.04 ฿35.03

-45.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.85 ₩12.9K

$13.63 ฿458

-35.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₩1,764

$1.31 ฿44.03

-7.63%

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

$27.3K ₩39.8M

$27.3K ฿916.6K

0.01%

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

$24.7K ₩36.1M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-25.56%

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

$146 ₩213.3K

$123 ฿4,138

18.67%

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

$35.24 ₩51.4K

$13.81 ฿464

155.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.92 ₩32.0K

$18.52 ฿622

18.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 ₩69.7K

$60.4 ฿2,028

-20.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿564

Cinema Ticket

$10.86 ₩15.9K

$8.89 ฿299

22.16%

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

$409 ₩597.3K

$687 ฿23.1K

-40.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K ₩33.7M

$15.6K ฿522.5K

48.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 ₩87.5K

$57.6 ฿1,936

4.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.78 ₩68.3K

$34.66 ฿1,165

34.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 ₩115.3K

$115 ฿3,861

-31.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 ₩167.3K

$84.9 ฿2,853

34.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 ₩381.0K

$618 ฿20.7K

-57.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 ₩318.0K

$443 ฿14.9K

-50.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 ₩691.1K

$2,047 ฿68.8K

-76.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 ₩601.2K

$1,506 ฿50.6K

-72.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,126 ₩10.4M

$3,568 ฿119.9K

99.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,981 ₩7.3M

$2,511 ฿84.4K

98.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,038 ₩3.0M

$503 ฿16.9K

305.40%

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 Uijeongbu: July 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $261 in Uijeongbu and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uijeongbu pays 305% 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: $55.0 in Uijeongbu vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $492 vs $292 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

Uijeongbu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 305% higher in Uijeongbu, 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: $261 in Uijeongbu versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $409 in Uijeongbu versus $687 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 $55.0 in Uijeongbu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,283 in Uijeongbu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Uijeongbu. 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 Uijeongbu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Uijeongbu 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 2% less than in Uijeongbu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.