Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pekanbaru and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Pekanbaru: $628 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Pekanbaru
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Pekanbaru Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Pekanbaru

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$628

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $628 in Pekanbaru versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Pekanbaru $628
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $983 in Pekanbaru versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Pekanbaru $983
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,339 in Pekanbaru versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Pekanbaru $1,339
Phuket $2,867

Living in Pekanbaru costs roughly 48% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pekanbaru 53% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.43 Rp 25.8K

$4.58 ฿153

-68.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.20 Rp 147.6K

$32.48 ฿1,086

-74.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

$8.55 ฿286

-71.81%

Cappuccino

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

$2.72 ฿91.0

-52.21%

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

$0.58 Rp 10.4K

$0.94 ฿31.25

-38.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 Rp 5,954

$0.49 ฿16.39

-32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 Rp 37.3K

$2.59 ฿86.6

-20.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$3.83 ฿128

-9.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

$1.74 ฿58.1

-25.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

$1.43 ฿47.82

-19.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

$1.53 ฿51.0

-41.83%

Eggs

$1.68 Rp 30.3K

$2.17 ฿72.7

-22.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 Rp 131.3K

$19.15 ฿640

-61.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 42.7K

$3.30 ฿110

-28.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.49 Rp 116.9K

$11.14 ฿372

-41.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 Rp 48.5K

$2.95 ฿98.5

-8.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

$1.68 ฿56.1

1.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

$2.30 ฿76.8

4.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$2.13 ฿71.3

-40.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

$1.53 ฿51.1

-18.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.36 ฿45.55

40.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$1.12 ฿37.44

-33.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 Rp 6,350

$0.55 ฿18.24

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 Rp 38.9K

$4.26 ฿142

-49.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.45 Rp 386.0K

$18.19 ฿608

17.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.74 ฿58.2

9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.2K

$2.79 ฿93.3

7.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,230

$2.22 ฿74.1

-86.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.44 Rp 152.0K

$22.06 ฿737

-61.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 Rp 16.6K

$2.91 ฿97.3

-68.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 Rp 7,154

$1.01 ฿33.79

-60.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 Rp 48.2K

$3.83 ฿128

-30.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$1.49 ฿49.85

-48.99%

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

$23.3K Rp 418.9M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-12.77%

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

$26.0K Rp 468.5M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-2.55%

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

$62.1 Rp 1.1M

$99.4 ฿3,321

-37.53%

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

$5.99 Rp 107.9K

$11.28 ฿377

-46.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.78 Rp 428.1K

$17.36 ฿580

36.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.34 Rp 510.2K

$52.3 ฿1,747

-45.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.31 Rp 149.7K

$10.85 ฿362

-23.41%

Cinema Ticket

$3.03 Rp 54.6K

$7.57 ฿253

-59.97%

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

$96.0 Rp 1.7M

$558 ฿18.7K

-82.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,773 Rp 139.9M

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-32.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.96 Rp 575.3K

$62.9 ฿2,102

-49.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.42 Rp 511.6K

$28.58 ฿955

-0.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.8 Rp 985.5K

$96.1 ฿3,213

-43.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

$88.1 ฿2,943

-8.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 Rp 4.7M

$729 ฿24.4K

-64.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$145 Rp 2.6M

$460 ฿15.4K

-68.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 Rp 9.7M

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-74.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 Rp 6.4M

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-70.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,070 Rp 19.3M

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-69.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$807 Rp 14.5M

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-67.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$176 Rp 3.2M

$493 ฿16.5K

-64.30%

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 Pekanbaru: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pekanbaru

$201 32%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 33.2% $67

Accommodation & Living

Pekanbaru

$145 23.1%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 218% $315

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pekanbaru

$92 14.6%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 39.4% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Pekanbaru

$88 14%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 40.7% $36

Eating Out

Pekanbaru

$55 8.8%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 120% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Pekanbaru

$34 5.5%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 95.9% $33

Getting Around

Pekanbaru

$13 2%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 211% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $262 in Pekanbaru and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 180% 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: $8.00 in Pekanbaru vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $268 per month, with Pekanbaru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Pekanbaru

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

Same time as Pekanbaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,020,308

79,308

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pekanbaru Phuket 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Pekanbaru
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

Pekanbaru vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pekanbaru is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 180% lower in Phuket. 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: $262 in Pekanbaru versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pekanbaru – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $628 per month in Pekanbaru versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $628 in Pekanbaru versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pekanbaru but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pekanbaru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pekanbaru 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, Pekanbaru 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 Pekanbaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.