🙂A single person spends $659 per month in Kalimantan vs $1,264 in Phuket, rent included.
🙂A couple spends around $1,015 per month in Kalimantan vs $2,256 in Phuket, rent included.
🙂A family of three spends $1,371 per month in Kalimantan vs $3,248 in Phuket, rent included.
🙂Kalimantan is about 48% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both Kalimantan and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Kalimantan50% lower, Phuket5% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kalimantan
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.51Rp 27.3K
$4.48฿150
-66.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.27Rp 221.4K
$45.59฿1,521
-73.09%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.35Rp 60.5K
$8.76฿292
-61.76%
Cappuccino
$1.67Rp 30.2K
$2.97฿99.0
-43.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51Rp 9,259
$0.69฿22.90
-26.09%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28Rp 5,113
$0.39฿13.04
-28.21%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.49Rp 45.0K
$2.53฿84.4
-1.58%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.56Rp 64.3K
$3.75฿125
-5.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kalimantan
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.19Rp 21.5K
$2.15฿71.6
-44.65%
White Bread(500g)
$1.12Rp 20.3K
$1.82฿60.6
-38.46%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.88Rp 15.8K
$2.18฿72.9
-59.63%
Eggs
$1.54Rp 27.9K
$2.25฿75.0
-31.56%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.29Rp 149.7K
$20.00฿667
-58.55%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.19Rp 57.5K
$3.63฿121
-12.12%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.80Rp 140.9K
$13.56฿452
-42.48%
Apples(1kg)
$2.28Rp 41.2K
$3.24฿108
-29.63%
Banana(1kg)
$1.46Rp 26.3K
$1.64฿54.6
-10.98%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.88Rp 33.9K
$2.33฿77.8
-19.31%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50Rp 27.0K
$2.07฿69.1
-27.54%
Potato(1kg)
$1.36Rp 24.6K
$1.55฿51.6
-12.26%
Onion(1kg)
$1.95Rp 35.3K
$1.46฿48.54
33.56%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.95Rp 17.2K
$0.98฿32.86
-3.06%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.42Rp 7,539
$0.48฿16.09
-12.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.51Rp 45.3K
$4.35฿145
-42.30%
Wine(Bottle)
$19.88Rp 358.8K
$18.57฿620
7.05%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.04Rp 36.9K
$1.86฿61.9
9.68%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13Rp 56.5K
$2.65฿88.6
18.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Kalimantan
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.32Rp 5,783
$1.42฿47.28
-77.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$9.54Rp 172.2K
$11.57฿386
-17.55%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.56Rp 10.1K
$3.17฿106
-82.33%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.35Rp 6,278
$1.03฿34.41
-66.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$2.97Rp 53.6K
$13.89฿463
-78.62%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.77Rp 14.0K
$1.34฿44.84
-42.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.5KRp 442.0M
$27.8K฿927.1K
-11.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2KRp 491.9M
$33.4K฿1.1M
-18.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kalimantan
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$69.5Rp 1.3M
$123฿4,105
-43.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.36Rp 78.7K
$13.77฿459
-68.34%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.48Rp 405.8K
$18.33฿611
22.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kalimantan
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$22.84Rp 412.3K
$60.7฿2,025
-62.37%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.32Rp 114.1K
$17.16฿573
-63.17%
Cinema Ticket
$3.03Rp 54.6K
$8.87฿296
-65.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kalimantan
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$91.9Rp 1.7M
$688฿22.9K
-86.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,578Rp 136.8M
$15.8K฿526.4K
-51.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kalimantan
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.93Rp 757.0K
$59.3฿1,978
-29.29%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.36Rp 548.1K
$34.69฿1,157
-12.48%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$67.6Rp 1.2M
$115฿3,843
-41.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.4Rp 1.3M
$83.8฿2,794
-12.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kalimantan
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$260Rp 4.7M
$621฿20.7K
-58.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$157Rp 2.8M
$446฿14.9K
-64.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$592Rp 10.7M
$2,034฿67.8K
-70.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$335Rp 6.0M
$1,496฿49.9K
-77.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$997Rp 18.0M
$3,455฿115.3K
-71.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$608Rp 11.0M
$2,531฿84.4K
-75.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kalimantan
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$494฿16.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
9.15
5.33
71.67%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Kalimantan: July 26, 2026
Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $260 in Kalimantan versus $621 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.
🛒A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Kalimantan versus $46.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $291 – making Kalimantan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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
Kalimantan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Kalimantan?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 92%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $989 per month in Kalimantan and $1,896 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalimantan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Kalimantan or in Phuket?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Kalimantan and $46.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Kalimantan and in Phuket?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $659 in Kalimantan and $1,264 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Kalimantan or in Phuket?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kalimantan, where all-in costs run around $659, than in Phuket at $1,264. In Kalimantan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Kalimantan or Phuket more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kalimantan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Kalimantan or Phuket?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kalimantan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.
Kalimantan vs other spots: cost of living compared