Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandung: $623 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Bandung
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Bandung Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Bandung

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$623

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bandung 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 Bandung and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $623 in Bandung versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Bandung $623
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $925 in Bandung versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Bandung $925
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,226 in Bandung versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Bandung $1,226
Phuket $3,154

Living in Bandung costs roughly 51% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bandung 54% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

$4.47 ฿151

-68.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.70 Rp 249.1K

$32.41 ฿1,094

-57.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.22 Rp 58.5K

$8.81 ฿297

-63.45%

Cappuccino

$1.48 Rp 26.8K

$2.83 ฿95.5

-47.70%

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

$0.43 Rp 7,780

$0.87 ฿29.43

-50.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 Rp 3,994

$0.49 ฿16.67

-55.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 Rp 56.4K

$2.56 ฿86.4

21.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 Rp 56.4K

$3.68 ฿124

-15.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

$1.66 ฿56.0

-33.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 Rp 17.6K

$1.46 ฿49.35

-33.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.50 ฿50.6

-42.67%

Eggs

$1.41 Rp 25.6K

$2.09 ฿70.5

-32.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.94 Rp 126.1K

$19.07 ฿644

-63.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 Rp 53.1K

$3.30 ฿111

-11.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.93 Rp 144.1K

$10.91 ฿368

-27.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

$2.93 ฿99.0

-24.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$1.69 ฿57.1

-37.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

$2.25 ฿75.8

-35.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 Rp 16.2K

$2.08 ฿70.1

-57.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 Rp 19.7K

$1.51 ฿51.0

-27.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 Rp 35.2K

$1.38 ฿46.56

40.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

$1.07 ฿35.99

-40.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,815

$0.52 ฿17.52

-17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.56 Rp 46.6K

$4.20 ฿142

-39.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.37 Rp 406.6K

$18.79 ฿634

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 Rp 34.4K

$1.82 ฿61.5

3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 Rp 57.3K

$2.84 ฿95.9

10.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,863

$1.45 ฿49.03

-81.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 Rp 228.4K

$56.7 ฿1,913

-77.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

$3.02 ฿102

-72.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 Rp 9,737

$1.02 ฿34.36

-47.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 Rp 42.2K

$3.69 ฿125

-37.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

$1.47 ฿49.81

-42.86%

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

$20.8K Rp 377.2M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-22.49%

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

$32.2K Rp 585.8M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

20.75%

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

$33.56 Rp 609.9K

$96.4 ฿3,254

-65.17%

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

$4.22 Rp 76.8K

$11.26 ฿380

-62.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.17 Rp 348.4K

$16.85 ฿569

13.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.35 Rp 297.2K

$67.2 ฿2,270

-75.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.92 Rp 107.7K

$10.73 ฿362

-44.83%

Cinema Ticket

$2.83 Rp 51.3K

$7.50 ฿253

-62.27%

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

$92.1 Rp 1.7M

$476 ฿16.1K

-80.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,239 Rp 149.7M

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-26.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.89 Rp 706.7K

$62.4 ฿2,106

-37.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.30 Rp 568.8K

$28.41 ฿959

10.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 Rp 1.4M

$94.3 ฿3,184

-20.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 Rp 1.3M

$85.8 ฿2,898

-19.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 Rp 3.8M

$716 ฿24.2K

-70.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 Rp 3.2M

$491 ฿16.6K

-64.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$372 Rp 6.8M

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-80.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 Rp 4.8M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-81.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$706 Rp 12.8M

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-83.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$298 Rp 5.4M

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-90.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$277 Rp 5.0M

$502 ฿17.0K

-44.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.38

5.57

104.31%

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

Last update for Bandung: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Bandung

$192 30.8%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 38.6% $74

Accommodation & Living

Bandung

$176 28.2%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 180% $315

Clothing & Footwear

Bandung

$96 15.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 26.4% $25

Eating Out

Bandung

$63 10.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 93.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bandung

$57 9.1%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 119% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Bandung

$22 3.5%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 274% $60

Getting Around

Bandung

$17 2.8%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 311% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $208 in Bandung and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 81% 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: $14 in Bandung vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $266 per month, with Bandung cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bandung

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

03:28 3:28 AM

Same time as Bandung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,390,120

79,308

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bandung Phuket 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Bandung
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

Bandung vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bandung wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bandung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Bandung. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $208 in Bandung versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bandung – a meal for two runs $14 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $623 in Bandung versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Bandung but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bandung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bandung delivers better value at $623 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bandung hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bandung and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Bandung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.