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: $1,240 in Uijeongbu versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,011 in Uijeongbu versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,782 in Uijeongbu versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Uijeongbu costs roughly 2% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Uijeongbu 7% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.80 ₩8,580

$4.66 ฿150

24.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.2 ₩80.2K

$46.44 ฿1,496

16.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 ₩8,556

$8.68 ฿280

-33.29%

Cappuccino

$3.34 ₩4,933

$2.95 ฿95.0

13.22%

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

$1.13 ₩1,669

$0.70 ฿22.52

61.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₩1,253

$0.39 ฿12.70

117.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 ₩3,277

$2.53 ฿81.6

-12.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₩4,282

$3.78 ฿122

-23.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 ₩3,313

$2.22 ฿71.5

0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 ₩5,159

$1.80 ฿57.8

93.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 ₩4,742

$2.19 ฿70.4

46.58%

Eggs

$3.18 ₩4,706

$2.31 ฿74.5

37.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.52 ₩21.5K

$19.34 ฿623

-24.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.79 ₩15.9K

$3.77 ฿121

186.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.37 ₩50.8K

$13.22 ฿426

159.98%

Apples (1kg)

$7.79 ₩11.5K

$3.33 ฿107

133.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.43 ₩5,077

$1.65 ฿53.1

107.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.65 ₩8,355

$2.29 ฿73.7

146.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.53 ₩9,651

$1.99 ฿64.1

228.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.99 ₩5,894

$1.53 ฿49.24

160.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 ₩4,400

$1.51 ฿48.77

97.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 ₩3,894

$1.03 ฿33.12

155.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,706

$0.51 ฿16.57

125.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 ₩5,034

$4.41 ฿142

-22.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 ₩22.4K

$19.41 ฿625

-21.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₩3,484

$1.80 ฿58.0

31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 ₩5,007

$2.68 ฿86.4

26.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,643

$1.43 ฿46.11

-22.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩5,241

$3.04 ฿97.9

16.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ₩776

$1.04 ฿33.37

-49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.69 ₩12.9K

$13.68 ฿441

-36.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₩1,851

$1.30 ฿41.85

-3.85%

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

$27.9K ₩41.3M

$27.9K ฿898.9K

0.05%

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

$24.6K ₩36.4M

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-25.49%

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

$145 ₩214.8K

$123 ฿3,962

18.13%

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

$34.88 ₩51.6K

$13.82 ฿445

152.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.29 ₩33.0K

$18.86 ฿608

18.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.72 ₩70.5K

$61.2 ฿1,970

-21.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$10.93 ₩16.2K

$8.87 ฿286

23.22%

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

$407 ₩602.3K

$696 ฿22.4K

-41.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₩34.4M

$16.1K ฿517.4K

44.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ₩87.7K

$59.3 ฿1,910

0.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.72 ₩70.6K

$34.85 ฿1,123

36.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 ₩119.5K

$113 ฿3,646

-28.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₩171.9K

$85.1 ฿2,740

36.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 ₩376.0K

$615 ฿19.8K

-58.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 ₩331.8K

$448 ฿14.4K

-49.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 ₩708.8K

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-77.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 ₩589.8K

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-73.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,304 ₩12.3M

$3,734 ฿120.3K

122.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,354 ₩7.9M

$2,662 ฿85.8K

101.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,005 ₩3.0M

$534 ฿17.2K

275.79%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $254 in Uijeongbu and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uijeongbu pays 276% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54 in Uijeongbu vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $291 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

Uijeongbu is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Uijeongbu pays 276% 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: $254 in Uijeongbu versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $407 in Uijeongbu versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Uijeongbu – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,240 in Uijeongbu versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Uijeongbu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Uijeongbu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Uijeongbu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, 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 Uijeongbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.