Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Batam and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Batam: $586 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Batam
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Batam Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Batam

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$586

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $586 in Batam versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Batam $586
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $984 in Batam versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Batam $984
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,382 in Batam versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Batam $1,382
Phuket $3,154

Living in Batam costs roughly 54% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Batam 57% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 Rp 35.3K

$4.47 ฿151

-56.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.07 Rp 146.3K

$32.41 ฿1,093

-75.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 Rp 70.7K

$8.81 ฿297

-55.73%

Cappuccino

$2.05 Rp 37.1K

$2.83 ฿95.4

-27.56%

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

$0.61 Rp 11.0K

$0.87 ฿29.41

-29.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 Rp 5,449

$0.49 ฿16.65

-38.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 Rp 44.7K

$2.56 ฿86.3

-3.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

$3.68 ฿124

-0.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Rp 20.3K

$1.66 ฿55.9

-32.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 Rp 19.8K

$1.46 ฿49.31

-25.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$1.50 ฿50.5

-46.00%

Eggs

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

$2.09 ฿70.5

-41.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.45 Rp 135.0K

$19.07 ฿643

-60.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.47 Rp 44.8K

$3.30 ฿111

-25.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 78.1K

$10.91 ฿368

-60.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 Rp 39.2K

$2.93 ฿98.9

-25.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 36.2K

$1.69 ฿57.0

18.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$2.25 ฿75.8

-12.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 Rp 18.7K

$2.08 ฿70.0

-50.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 Rp 17.2K

$1.51 ฿51.0

-37.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 35.5K

$1.38 ฿46.52

42.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 Rp 23.4K

$1.07 ฿35.96

20.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 8,036

$0.52 ฿17.51

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$4.20 ฿142

-35.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 Rp 249.8K

$18.79 ฿634

-26.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 Rp 30.4K

$1.82 ฿61.5

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 Rp 42.3K

$2.84 ฿95.8

-17.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 Rp 7,419

$1.45 ฿48.98

-71.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

$3.02 ฿102

-62.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 Rp 10.6K

$1.02 ฿34.33

-43.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 Rp 62.0K

$3.69 ฿125

-7.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

$1.47 ฿49.76

-42.86%

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

$27.6K Rp 499.6M

$26.8K ฿903.4K

2.96%

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

$24.6K Rp 445.8M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-7.83%

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

$67.8 Rp 1.2M

$96.4 ฿3,251

-29.63%

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

$4.09 Rp 74.2K

$11.26 ฿380

-63.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.58 Rp 409.2K

$16.85 ฿568

34.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.03 Rp 489.9K

$67.2 ฿2,268

-59.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.66 Rp 102.5K

$10.73 ฿362

-47.25%

Cinema Ticket

$2.66 Rp 48.3K

$7.50 ฿253

-64.53%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$476 ฿16.1K

-82.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,186 Rp 57.7M

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-71.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.46 Rp 570.0K

$62.4 ฿2,104

-49.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.99 Rp 326.0K

$28.41 ฿958

-36.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 Rp 1.2M

$94.3 ฿3,181

-31.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.72 Rp 429.9K

$85.8 ฿2,895

-72.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 Rp 4.8M

$716 ฿24.2K

-62.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$145 Rp 2.6M

$491 ฿16.6K

-70.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 Rp 14.4M

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-58.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 Rp 9.0M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-65.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$542 Rp 9.8M

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-87.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$334 Rp 6.0M

$502 ฿16.9K

-33.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.17

5.57

136.45%

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

Last update for Batam: 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

Batam

$172 29.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 55.1% $95

Accommodation & Living

Batam

$145 24.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 238% $346

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Batam

$94 16.1%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 31.7% $30

Eating Out

Batam

$75 12.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 62% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Batam

$62 10.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 96.9% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Batam

$32 5.5%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 154% $50

Getting Around

Batam

$5.7 * 1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 1140% $65

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $265 in Batam and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 50% 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: $8 in Batam vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $266 per month, with Batam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Batam

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

Same time as Batam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,196,396

79,308

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Batam Phuket 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Batam
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

Batam vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Batam is about 54% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Batam. 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: $265 in Batam versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $586 per month in Batam versus $1,278 in Phuket – Batam is about 54% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $586 in Batam versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Batam but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Batam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Batam wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.