Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Batam

For one person, living is cheaper in Batam: $586 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Batam
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Batam Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Batam

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Batam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $586 in Batam.

Phuket $1,278
Batam $586

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $984 in Batam.

Phuket $2,216
Batam $984

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,382 in Batam.

Phuket $3,154
Batam $1,382

Living in Phuket is roughly 118% more expensive than in Batam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Batam 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.95 Rp 35.3K

129.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$8.07 Rp 146.3K

301.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.90 Rp 70.7K

125.90%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.05 Rp 37.1K

38.05%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.61 Rp 11.0K

42.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.30 Rp 5,449

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.47 Rp 44.7K

3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

0.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.12 Rp 20.3K

48.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.09 Rp 19.8K

33.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

85.19%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

71.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.45 Rp 135.0K

155.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.47 Rp 44.8K

33.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$4.31 Rp 78.1K

153.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.17 Rp 39.2K

35.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.00 Rp 36.2K

-15.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

14.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.03 Rp 18.7K

101.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.95 Rp 17.2K

58.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.96 Rp 35.5K

-29.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.29 Rp 23.4K

-17.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.44 Rp 8,036

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

54.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$13.78 Rp 249.8K

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.68 Rp 30.4K

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.33 Rp 42.3K

21.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.41 Rp 7,419

253.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

167.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.58 Rp 10.6K

75.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$3.42 Rp 62.0K

7.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

75.00%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$27.6K Rp 499.6M

-2.87%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$24.6K Rp 445.8M

8.50%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$67.8 Rp 1.2M

42.11%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$4.09 Rp 74.2K

175.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$22.58 Rp 409.2K

-25.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$27.03 Rp 489.9K

148.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$5.66 Rp 102.5K

89.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.66 Rp 48.3K

181.95%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

473.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$3,186 Rp 57.7M

253.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$31.46 Rp 570.0K

98.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$17.99 Rp 326.0K

57.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$64.4 Rp 1.2M

46.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$23.72 Rp 429.9K

261.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$265 Rp 4.8M

170.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$145 Rp 2.6M

238.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$796 Rp 14.4M

142.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$499 Rp 9.0M

186.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$542 Rp 9.8M

670.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$334 Rp 6.0M

50.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.17

-57.71%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Batam: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Batam

$145 24.8% 70.4% $346

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Batam

$172 29.3% 35.5% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Batam

$94 16.1% 24.1% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Batam

$62 10.6% 49.2% $60

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Batam

$75 12.8% 38.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Batam

$32 5.5% 60.6% $50

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Batam

$5.7 * 1% 91.9% $65

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $265 in Batam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 50% 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: $32 in Phuket vs $8 in Batam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $172 per month, with Batam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 Batam

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,196,396

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Batam 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Batam

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 Batam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Batam is about 54% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Phuket, 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 $265 in Batam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $586 in Batam – Batam is about 54% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $586 in Batam versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Batam but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Batam 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.

It comes down to priorities – Batam wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.