Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yongin and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Yongin: $1,044 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Yongin, South Korea
Phuket, Thailand
Yongin
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,044
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yongin and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Yongin and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,044 in Yongin versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • Yongin $1,044
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,585 in Yongin versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • Yongin $1,585
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,126 in Yongin versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • Yongin $2,126
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in Yongin costs roughly 18% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yongin 23% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Yongin
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.17 ₩8,276
$4.47 ฿151
38.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.36 ₩35.3K
$32.41 ฿1,092
-18.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.70 ₩8,987
$8.81 ฿297
-23.95%
Cappuccino
$3.62 ₩4,858
$2.83 ฿95.3
27.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 ₩2,086
$0.87 ฿29.37
79.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₩851
$0.49 ฿16.64
28.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.52 ₩4,718
$2.56 ฿86.2
37.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 ₩5,911
$3.68 ฿124
19.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Yongin
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 ₩1,555
$1.66 ฿55.9
-30.12%
White Bread (500g)
$3.18 ₩4,258
$1.46 ฿49.25
117.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.28 ₩3,053
$1.50 ฿50.4
52.00%
Eggs
$2.38 ₩3,190
$2.09 ฿70.4
13.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.08 ₩21.5K
$19.07 ฿642
-15.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.14 ₩10.9K
$3.30 ฿111
146.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.27 ₩15.1K
$10.91 ฿368
3.30%
Apples (1kg)
$7.89 ₩10.6K
$2.93 ฿98.7
169.28%
Banana (1kg)
$3.20 ₩4,287
$1.69 ฿56.9
89.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.37 ₩9,881
$2.25 ฿75.7
227.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.12 ₩9,542
$2.08 ฿70.0
242.31%
Potato (1kg)
$3.59 ₩4,815
$1.51 ฿50.9
137.75%
Onion (1kg)
$2.39 ₩3,210
$1.38 ฿46.47
73.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.06 ₩2,761
$1.07 ฿35.91
92.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.49 ₩2,003
$0.52 ฿17.49
186.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.35 ₩4,485
$4.20 ฿142
-20.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.84 ₩25.3K
$18.79 ฿633
0.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 ₩3,066
$1.82 ฿61.4
25.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.84 ฿95.7
-
🚌 Getting Around
Yongin
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.45 ฿48.93
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$56.7 ฿1,909
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.77 ₩5,049
$3.02 ฿102
24.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.62 ₩836
$1.02 ฿34.29
-39.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.69 ฿124
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 ₩1,841
$1.47 ฿49.70
-6.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K ₩40.1M
$26.8K ฿902.4K
11.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.2K ₩48.5M
$26.7K ฿899.5K
35.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yongin
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$214 ₩286.9K
$96.4 ฿3,247
122.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$43.25 ₩58.0K
$11.26 ฿380
284.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.16 ₩28.4K
$16.85 ฿568
25.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Yongin
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ₩69.9K
$67.2 ฿2,266
-22.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.73 ฿361
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 ₩14.9K
$7.50 ฿253
48.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Yongin
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$298 ₩400.0K
$476 ฿16.0K
-37.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.8K ₩23.8M
$11.3K ฿379.6K
57.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Yongin
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.4 ₩87.7K
$62.4 ฿2,102
4.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$63.2 ₩84.7K
$28.41 ฿957
122.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.4 ₩99.7K
$94.3 ฿3,178
-21.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$100 ₩134.5K
$85.8 ฿2,892
16.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Yongin
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$716 ฿24.1K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$491 ฿16.5K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,927 ฿64.9K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,431 ฿48.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,175 ฿140.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,045 ฿102.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Yongin
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$502 ฿16.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.1
5.57
-26.39%

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

Last update for Yongin: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Yongin
–
Phuket
$491
Groceries & Markets
Yongin
–
Phuket
$266
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yongin
–
Phuket
$124
Clothing & Footwear
Yongin
–
Phuket
$122
Eating Out
Yongin
–
Phuket
$122
Sport & Entertainment
Yongin
–
Phuket
$82
Getting Around
Yongin
–
Phuket
$71

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $26 in Yongin vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $266, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇰🇷 Yongin
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
12:08 12:08 PM
10:08 10:08 AM
2 h behind Yongin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,004,081
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Yongin Phuket 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Yongin
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Yongin vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Yongin cheaper than Phuket?
Yongin is about 18% cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,566 in Yongin and $1,917 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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $298 in Yongin versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Yongin or in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Yongin – a meal for two runs $26 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 enough for either Yongin or Phuket?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Yongin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Yongin or in Phuket?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Yongin or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Yongin and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Yongin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?