Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kalimantan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kalimantan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $659 in Kalimantan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,015 in Kalimantan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $1,371 in Kalimantan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 92% more than Kalimantan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Kalimantan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Kalimantan 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.51 Rp 27.3K

196.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$12.27 Rp 221.4K

271.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.35 Rp 60.5K

161.49%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.67 Rp 30.2K

77.84%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.51 Rp 9,259

35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.28 Rp 5,113

39.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.49 Rp 45.0K

1.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

5.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

80.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.12 Rp 20.3K

62.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.88 Rp 15.8K

147.73%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

46.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.29 Rp 149.7K

141.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.19 Rp 57.5K

13.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.80 Rp 140.9K

73.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

42.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.46 Rp 26.3K

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

23.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.50 Rp 27.0K

38.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.36 Rp 24.6K

13.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.95 Rp 35.3K

-25.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.95 Rp 17.2K

3.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.42 Rp 7,539

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.51 Rp 45.3K

73.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$19.88 Rp 358.8K

-6.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

-8.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.13 Rp 56.5K

-15.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.32 Rp 5,783

343.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$9.54 Rp 172.2K

21.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.56 Rp 10.1K

466.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.35 Rp 6,278

194.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.97 Rp 53.6K

367.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.77 Rp 14.0K

74.03%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$24.5K Rp 442.0M

13.51%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$27.2K Rp 491.9M

22.50%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$69.5 Rp 1.3M

76.95%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$4.36 Rp 78.7K

215.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$22.48 Rp 405.8K

-18.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$22.84 Rp 412.3K

165.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$6.32 Rp 114.1K

171.52%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$3.03 Rp 54.6K

192.74%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$91.9 Rp 1.7M

648.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$7,578 Rp 136.8M

108.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$41.93 Rp 757.0K

41.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$30.36 Rp 548.1K

14.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$67.6 Rp 1.2M

70.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$73.4 Rp 1.3M

14.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$260 Rp 4.7M

139.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$157 Rp 2.8M

184.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$592 Rp 10.7M

243.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$335 Rp 6.0M

346.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$997 Rp 18.0M

246.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$608 Rp 11.0M

316.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kalimantan: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $260 in Kalimantan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $12.00 in Kalimantan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $205 – making Kalimantan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kalimantan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 92%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 per month in Phuket and $989 in Kalimantan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalimantan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $12.00 in Kalimantan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,264 in Phuket and $659 in Kalimantan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kalimantan, where all-in costs run around $659, than in Phuket at $1,264. In Kalimantan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kalimantan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kalimantan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.