Cost of Living Comparison Between Binjai and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Binjai and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $630 in Binjai versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $999 in Binjai versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,368 in Binjai versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Binjai costs roughly 49% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Binjai 54% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.87 Rp 33.1K

$4.41 ฿147

-57.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.39 Rp 237.1K

$32.26 ฿1,077

-58.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.68 Rp 65.1K

$8.93 ฿298

-58.79%

Cappuccino

$1.50 Rp 26.6K

$2.90 ฿96.6

-48.28%

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

$0.42 Rp 7,358

$0.88 ฿29.38

-52.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 Rp 3,645

$0.48 ฿16.06

-56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 Rp 44.3K

$2.35 ฿78.5

6.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 Rp 66.3K

$3.72 ฿124

0.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Rp 20.3K

$1.87 ฿62.3

-38.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 Rp 22.2K

$1.47 ฿48.94

-14.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$1.55 ฿51.8

-53.55%

Eggs

$1.29 Rp 22.9K

$2.10 ฿70.1

-38.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 Rp 116.5K

$19.59 ฿654

-66.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 48.6K

$3.42 ฿114

-19.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.08 Rp 143.1K

$11.38 ฿380

-29.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 Rp 38.0K

$2.98 ฿99.6

-27.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 Rp 24.8K

$1.68 ฿56.2

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 Rp 26.1K

$2.21 ฿73.7

-33.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 Rp 23.2K

$2.16 ฿72.1

-39.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 Rp 21.6K

$1.52 ฿50.9

-19.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.34 ฿44.67

30.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 Rp 15.1K

$1.13 ฿37.67

-24.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 Rp 6,537

$0.55 ฿18.24

-32.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 Rp 50.1K

$4.26 ฿142

-33.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.70 Rp 384.2K

$19.09 ฿637

13.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 Rp 33.1K

$1.78 ฿59.4

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 Rp 46.7K

$2.78 ฿92.9

-5.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,483

$2.23 ฿74.4

-88.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.56 Rp 9,978

$3.03 ฿101

-81.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 Rp 5,244

$1.02 ฿34.15

-70.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 Rp 47.1K

$3.89 ฿130

-31.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$1.49 ฿49.77

-47.65%

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

$26.2K Rp 464.1M

$26.6K ฿887.3K

-1.39%

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

$27.8K Rp 491.5M

$27.0K ฿902.2K

2.70%

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

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

$102 ฿3,420

-32.33%

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

$4.25 Rp 75.3K

$11.33 ฿378

-62.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.66 Rp 348.1K

$17.40 ฿581

12.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.67 Rp 348.2K

$52.1 ฿1,738

-62.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.88 Rp 139.6K

$11.07 ฿370

-28.82%

Cinema Ticket

$3.16 Rp 55.9K

$7.69 ฿257

-58.91%

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

$92.1 Rp 1.6M

$561 ฿18.7K

-83.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,718 Rp 136.7M

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-32.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.81 Rp 704.9K

$63.0 ฿2,104

-36.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.09 Rp 444.2K

$29.52 ฿986

-15.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 Rp 1.2M

$98.0 ฿3,272

-28.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.3 Rp 1.1M

$88.5 ฿2,954

-27.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 Rp 4.4M

$738 ฿24.6K

-66.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 Rp 2.5M

$482 ฿16.1K

-70.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 Rp 11.4M

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-69.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 Rp 6.7M

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-68.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,248 Rp 22.1M

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-65.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$579 Rp 10.2M

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-77.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

5.57

69.84%

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

Last update for Binjai: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $248 in Binjai and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $13.00 in Binjai vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $274 per month, with Binjai 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

Binjai vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Binjai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $945 in Binjai and $1,847 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: $248 in Binjai versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $630 per month in Binjai versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $630 in Binjai versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Binjai but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Binjai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Binjai 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, Binjai 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 Binjai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.