Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bandung Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bandung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $647 in Bandung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $949 in Bandung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,251 in Bandung.

Living in Phuket is roughly 96% more expensive than Bandung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bandung 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$1.28 Rp 22.9K

267.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$9.42 Rp 168.9K

381.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.43 Rp 61.5K

145.77%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

103.47%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.49 Rp 8,717

40.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.25 Rp 4,452

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

-26.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

4.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

88.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

71.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.94 Rp 16.9K

130.85%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.58 Rp 28.3K

39.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.33 Rp 167.3K

111.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.02 Rp 54.2K

20.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.92 Rp 142.0K

70.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

38.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.33 Rp 23.9K

21.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.69 Rp 30.3K

42.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.52 Rp 27.2K

36.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.48 Rp 26.5K

3.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.67 Rp 47.8K

-44.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.96 Rp 17.2K

3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.46 Rp 8,234

10.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.57 Rp 46.0K

71.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$22.35 Rp 400.7K

-13.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.10 Rp 37.6K

-15.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$3.49 Rp 62.5K

-22.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.30 Rp 5,362

356.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$10.57 Rp 189.5K

7.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

297.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.71 Rp 12.7K

39.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.59 Rp 46.4K

444.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

67.90%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$24.4K Rp 437.0M

15.70%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.4K Rp 473.3M

24.61%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$43.12 Rp 773.0K

182.24%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$4.52 Rp 81.1K

200.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$22.94 Rp 411.3K

-20.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$21.48 Rp 385.1K

180.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$6.62 Rp 118.7K

158.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.16 Rp 56.6K

175.00%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$94.4 Rp 1.7M

634.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$7,577 Rp 135.8M

107.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$41.84 Rp 750.1K

42.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$30.57 Rp 547.9K

13.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$59.2 Rp 1.1M

93.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$63.7 Rp 1.1M

30.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$234 Rp 4.2M

161.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$156 Rp 2.8M

179.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$447 Rp 8.0M

368.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$247 Rp 4.4M

511.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$723 Rp 13.0M

418.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$309 Rp 5.5M

747.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$284 Rp 5.1M

79.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.15

-41.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Bandung: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $234 in Bandung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 79% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Bandung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $215 per month, with Bandung 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

Phuket vs Bandung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bandung wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bandung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Phuket pays 79% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $234 in Bandung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bandung – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $647 in Bandung versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bandung but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bandung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bandung delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $647 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bandung hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bandung 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 Bandung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.