Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Banda Aceh

For one person, living is cheaper in Banda Aceh: $319 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Banda Aceh

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Banda Aceh

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 Banda Aceh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $319 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Banda Aceh $319

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $510 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Banda Aceh $510

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $701 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Banda Aceh $701

Phuket costs about 305% more than Banda Aceh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Banda Aceh are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Banda Aceh 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

94.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$7.09 Rp 128.6K

355.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

159.70%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

122.95%

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

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.38 Rp 6,876

144.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$0.21 Rp 3,801

138.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

4.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$3.79 Rp 68.7K

-4.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$1.62 Rp 29.3K

7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.95

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

70.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

85.19%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$8.47 Rp 153.7K

125.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

41.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$6.46 Rp 117.2K

68.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$2.15 Rp 39.0K

36.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

101.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

170.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.7

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

168.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.21

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

73.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.15

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

-59.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.30

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

25.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.41

$0.40 Rp 7,239

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$2.94 Rp 53.4K

50.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,852

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.18

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$0.88 Rp 16.0K

69.32%

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

$26.9K ฿907.0K

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

$26.3K ฿888.9K

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

$97.8 ฿3,300

$33.04 Rp 599.4K

196.04%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$2.27 Rp 41.2K

397.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$23.59 Rp 428.0K

-27.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$9.48 Rp 171.9K

620.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

$13.23 Rp 239.9K

-17.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

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

$530 ฿17.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.7K

$1,910 Rp 34.6M

883.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,081

$27.71 Rp 502.6K

122.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$22.33 Rp 405.0K

26.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,239

$43.51 Rp 789.3K

120.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,929

$27.47 Rp 498.3K

216.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Banda Aceh: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Banda Aceh

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Banda Aceh

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Banda Aceh

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Banda Aceh

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Banda Aceh

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Banda Aceh

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Banda Aceh

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $7 in Banda Aceh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $131 – making Banda Aceh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 Banda Aceh

🕒 Local time

04:35 4:35 AM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

223,446

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 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 = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,286 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Phuket Banda Aceh 430 km

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Phuket
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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 Banda Aceh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 305%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $479 in Banda Aceh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 103% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $7 in Banda Aceh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Banda Aceh, where all-in costs run around $319, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Banda Aceh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $319 in Banda Aceh to $1,294 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.