Cost of Living Comparison Between Wonju and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Wonju and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,485 in Wonju versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,302 in Wonju versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,119 in Wonju versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Wonju is roughly 18% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Wonju is 11% 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

$37.47 ₩56.9K

$46.63 ฿1,519

-19.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.89 ₩8,947

$8.47 ฿276

-30.46%

Cappuccino

$4.15 ₩6,306

$3.03 ฿98.6

36.96%

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

$1.83 ₩2,777

$0.69 ฿22.45

165.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₩2,042

$0.37 ฿11.92

262.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ₩5,439

$2.49 ฿81.0

43.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 ₩9,035

$3.66 ฿119

62.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 ₩3,441

$2.18 ฿71.0

4.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 ₩5,443

$1.90 ฿62.0

88.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 ₩4,520

$2.20 ฿71.6

35.45%

Eggs

$3.00 ₩4,560

$2.22 ฿72.4

35.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ₩16.2K

$19.99 ฿651

-46.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 ₩12.8K

$3.66 ฿119

130.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.16 ₩41.2K

$13.25 ฿432

104.98%

Apples (1kg)

$8.65 ₩13.1K

$3.23 ฿105

167.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 ₩4,816

$1.70 ฿55.3

86.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.19 ₩10.9K

$2.39 ฿78.0

200.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 ₩7,909

$2.08 ฿67.7

150.48%

Potato (1kg)

$5.21 ₩7,915

$1.59 ฿51.8

227.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 ₩4,572

$1.48 ฿48.31

103.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 ₩3,102

$1.03 ฿33.54

98.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,753

$0.52 ฿16.83

121.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 ₩5,162

$4.25 ฿138

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.60 ₩25.2K

$18.79 ฿612

-11.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₩2,688

$1.76 ฿57.2

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₩5,297

$2.76 ฿89.8

26.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₩1,638

$1.36 ฿44.32

-20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 ₩5,378

$3.14 ฿102

12.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₩1,285

$1.04 ฿33.74

-18.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.73 ₩25.4K

$13.77 ฿448

21.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₩1,836

$1.34 ฿43.79

-9.70%

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

$28.0K ₩42.5M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

1.22%

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

$24.6K ₩37.4M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-27.33%

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

$187 ₩283.8K

$124 ฿4,025

51.20%

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

$49.84 ₩75.7K

$13.52 ฿440

268.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.68 ₩42.0K

$18.69 ฿609

48.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.59 ₩72.3K

$61.8 ฿2,013

-23.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$11.62 ₩17.6K

$9.14 ฿298

27.13%

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

$478 ₩726.2K

$703 ฿22.9K

-31.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K ₩21.4M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-11.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₩154.2K

$59.5 ฿1,937

70.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.52 ₩72.2K

$35.07 ฿1,142

35.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 ₩134.3K

$115 ฿3,754

-23.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 ₩180.4K

$84.1 ฿2,737

41.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₩681.7K

$619 ฿20.1K

-27.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 ₩574.1K

$433 ฿14.1K

-12.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ₩1.6M

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-48.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 ₩1.2M

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-48.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,352 ₩14.2M

$3,646 ฿118.7K

156.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,594 ₩7.0M

$2,626 ฿85.5K

74.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.33

-20.83%

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

Last update for Wonju: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $449 in Wonju and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Wonju vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $448 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

Wonju vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,228 in Wonju and $1,892 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $449 in Wonju versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $478 in Wonju versus $703 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 $47.00 versus $37.00 in Wonju. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,485 in Wonju, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wonju. 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 Wonju, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Wonju 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 18% less than in Wonju. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.