Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Magelang

For one person, living is cheaper in Magelang: $522 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Magelang, Indonesia
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Magelang
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$522
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Magelang

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $522 in Magelang, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Magelang $522

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $829 in Magelang, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Magelang $829

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,136 in Magelang, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Magelang $1,136

Phuket costs about 145% more than Magelang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Magelang are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Magelang 62% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Magelang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$1.41 Rp 25.5K
217.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$8.48 Rp 153.8K
282.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$2.54 Rp 46.1K
246.85%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$0.74 Rp 13.3K
282.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.42
$0.32 Rp 5,747
171.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.66
$0.17 Rp 3,097
188.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$1.30 Rp 23.6K
96.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$2.65 Rp 48.0K
38.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Magelang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.03 Rp 18.7K
61.17%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.32
$1.13 Rp 20.5K
29.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$0.75 Rp 13.5K
100.00%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.18 Rp 21.3K
77.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$6.45 Rp 117.0K
195.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
46.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$6.95 Rp 126.1K
56.98%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$2.03 Rp 36.8K
44.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.11 Rp 20.2K
52.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.24 Rp 22.5K
81.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$0.86 Rp 15.6K
141.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.00 Rp 18.2K
51.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.54
$1.34 Rp 24.2K
2.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.97
$0.80 Rp 14.5K
33.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.36 Rp 6,475
44.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$1.92 Rp 34.8K
118.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$16.50 Rp 299.3K
13.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.53 Rp 27.7K
18.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$2.12 Rp 38.4K
33.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Magelang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.00
$0.29 Rp 5,323
400.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$11.28 Rp 204.7K
402.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$0.43 Rp 7,752
602.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.34
$0.32 Rp 5,785
218.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$2.18 Rp 39.5K
69.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.78
$0.73 Rp 13.2K
101.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.7K
$25.4K Rp 460.3M
5.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.8K
$28.0K Rp 507.5M
-4.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Magelang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,252
$46.08 Rp 835.7K
109.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$3.96 Rp 71.9K
184.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$19.56 Rp 354.7K
-13.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Magelang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,269
$13.49 Rp 244.6K
398.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$3.64 Rp 66.0K
194.78%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$2.54 Rp 46.1K
195.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Magelang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$43.82 Rp 794.8K
986.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.1K
$3,925 Rp 71.2M
186.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Magelang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,105
$19.01 Rp 344.9K
228.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$19.05 Rp 345.5K
49.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,182
$57.2 Rp 1.0M
64.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,896
$51.7 Rp 937.0K
66.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Magelang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$226 Rp 4.1M
216.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$146 Rp 2.7M
235.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$561 Rp 10.2M
243.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$361 Rp 6.5M
296.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$1,159 Rp 21.0M
260.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$800 Rp 14.5M
280.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Magelang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$170 Rp 3.1M
195.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
7.5
-25.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Magelang: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Magelang
$146 70.2% $344
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Magelang
$165 38% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Magelang
$70 44.1% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Magelang
$66 45.7% $56
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Magelang
$41 65.9% $80
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Magelang
$19 77.4% $64
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Magelang
$14 79.5% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $226 in Magelang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Phuket are about 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $8 in Magelang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $165 – making Magelang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇮🇩 Magelang
🕒 Local time
10:59 10:59 AM
10:59 10:59 AM
Same time as Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
118,227
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Magelang 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Magelang

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 Magelang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Magelang compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $522 in Magelang – Magelang comes out roughly 59% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Magelang?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $782 in Magelang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Magelang?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Magelang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $716 in Phuket.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 61% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $8 in Magelang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Magelang, where all-in costs run around $522, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Magelang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Phuket or Magelang?
Families tend to lean toward Magelang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Phuket or Magelang safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Phuket and Magelang?
If budget matters most, go with Magelang. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?