Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Balikpapan

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikpapan: $669 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Balikpapan
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Balikpapan Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Balikpapan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Balikpapan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $669 in Balikpapan.

Phuket $1,278
Balikpapan $669

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,057 in Balikpapan.

Phuket $2,216
Balikpapan $1,057

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,444 in Balikpapan.

Phuket $3,154
Balikpapan $1,444

Living in Phuket is roughly 91% more expensive than in Balikpapan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Balikpapan 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

219.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$10.88 Rp 197.7K

197.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

191.72%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

111.19%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.35 Rp 6,320

148.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.39 Rp 7,034

25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.25 Rp 40.8K

13.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.51 Rp 63.7K

4.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

46.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

39.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.17 Rp 21.3K

28.21%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$2.43 Rp 44.1K

-13.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$7.14 Rp 129.7K

167.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.98 Rp 54.1K

10.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$8.63 Rp 156.8K

26.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$2.18 Rp 39.6K

34.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.31 Rp 23.7K

29.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.54 Rp 28.0K

46.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

74.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

25.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$1.95 Rp 35.5K

-29.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

27.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

135.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$21.12 Rp 383.5K

-11.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.79 Rp 32.6K

1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.98 Rp 54.0K

-4.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.23 Rp 4,151

530.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$11.50 Rp 208.8K

392.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.11 Rp 20.2K

172.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.29 Rp 5,189

251.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$2.81 Rp 51.0K

31.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$0.75 Rp 13.7K

96.00%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$23.2K Rp 420.9M

15.55%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$31.4K Rp 570.2M

-14.99%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$64.1 Rp 1.2M

50.27%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$4.19 Rp 76.1K

168.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$29.48 Rp 535.4K

-42.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$23.84 Rp 432.9K

182.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$8.27 Rp 150.3K

29.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.82 Rp 51.3K

165.96%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$91.6 Rp 1.7M

419.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$9,145 Rp 166.1M

23.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$37.81 Rp 686.7K

64.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$18.66 Rp 338.9K

52.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$140 Rp 2.5M

-32.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

21.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$197 Rp 3.6M

263.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$143 Rp 2.6M

242.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$559 Rp 10.2M

244.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$362 Rp 6.6M

295.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$1,323 Rp 24.0M

215.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$777 Rp 14.1M

291.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$238 Rp 4.3M

111.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.46

-41.12%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Balikpapan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Balikpapan

$143 21.4% 70.8% $348

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Balikpapan

$206 30.8% 22.7% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Balikpapan

$98 14.6% 21.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Balikpapan

$120 18% 1.4% $1.7

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Balikpapan

$58 8.6% 52.7% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Balikpapan

$29 4.4% 64.1% $53

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Balikpapan

$15 2.2% 78.8% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $197 in Balikpapan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $11 in Balikpapan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $206 per month, with Balikpapan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 Balikpapan

🕒 Local time

12:49 12:49 PM

13:49 1:49 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

701,066

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,161 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,355 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Balikpapan 2,290 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Balikpapan

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

Phuket vs Balikpapan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $669 in Balikpapan, so Balikpapan is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Phuket is about 2.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $197 in Balikpapan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Balikpapan runs roughly 80% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $92 in Balikpapan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $669 in Balikpapan versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Balikpapan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Balikpapan 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.

Expats usually find Balikpapan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.