Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jambi

For one person, living is cheaper in Jambi: $614 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Jambi
Learn more

Jambi Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Jambi

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Jambi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $614 in Jambi.

Phuket $1,278
Jambi $614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $977 in Jambi.

Phuket $2,216
Jambi $977

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,340 in Jambi.

Phuket $3,154
Jambi $1,340

Living in Phuket is roughly 108% more expensive than in Jambi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Jambi 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.50 Rp 27.2K

198.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$12.18 Rp 221.0K

166.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

212.41%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.32 Rp 24.0K

114.39%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.43 Rp 7,726

102.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.17 Rp 3,132

188.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.11 Rp 38.4K

21.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.51 Rp 63.7K

4.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

40.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.02 Rp 18.5K

43.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.86 Rp 15.7K

74.42%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.47 Rp 26.6K

42.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.08 Rp 146.7K

136.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

21.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.31 Rp 132.7K

49.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

31.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.29 Rp 23.5K

31.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.57 Rp 28.5K

43.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

74.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

25.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.96 Rp 35.5K

-29.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.88 Rp 16.0K

21.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.43 Rp 7,797

20.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

57.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$22.44 Rp 407.1K

-16.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

-1.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.87 Rp 52.0K

-1.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.26 Rp 4,705

457.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$11.33 Rp 205.6K

400.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.50 Rp 8,984

504.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.31 Rp 5,593

229.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

22.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.02 Rp 18.4K

44.12%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$23.0K Rp 416.6M

16.63%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$36.3K Rp 658.0M

-26.40%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$73.6 Rp 1.3M

30.93%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$3.81 Rp 69.2K

195.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$17.48 Rp 317.2K

-3.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$15.36 Rp 278.8K

337.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$8.55 Rp 155.2K

25.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.71 Rp 49.2K

176.75%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$86.2 Rp 1.6M

452.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$8,342 Rp 151.4M

35.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$42.73 Rp 775.3K

45.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$31.73 Rp 575.7K

-10.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$72.4 Rp 1.3M

30.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$66.6 Rp 1.2M

28.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$215 Rp 3.9M

233.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$134 Rp 2.4M

267.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$567 Rp 10.3M

239.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$349 Rp 6.3M

309.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,148 Rp 20.8M

263.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$759 Rp 13.8M

301.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$198 Rp 3.6M

153.12%

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 Jambi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Jambi

$134 21.7% 72.8% $357

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Jambi

$198 32.3% 25.5% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Jambi

$95 15.5% 23.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Jambi

$96 15.6% 21.2% $26

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Jambi

$56 9.2% 53.7% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Jambi

$21 3.4% 74.7% $61

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Jambi

$14 2.3% 79.6% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $215 in Jambi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $12 in Jambi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $198 per month, with Jambi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 Jambi

🕒 Local time

01:21 1:21 AM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

750,857

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 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 October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,229 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Jambi 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Jambi

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 Jambi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Jambi differ by about 108% in total monthly costs ($1,278 vs $614 including rent). Jambi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Phuket is about 2.5 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 $215 in Jambi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $614 in Jambi – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jambi runs roughly 80% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $614 in Jambi versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Jambi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Jambi 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 Jambi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.