Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Makassar Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Makassar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $665 in Makassar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,003 in Makassar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,341 in Makassar.

Living in Phuket is roughly 88% more expensive than in Makassar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Makassar 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.03 Rp 54.3K

50.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$9.36 Rp 167.9K

393.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$3.00 Rp 53.9K

194.67%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.80 Rp 32.4K

70.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.65 Rp 11.7K

12.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.40 Rp 7,137

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$3.61 Rp 64.7K

-32.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.63 Rp 65.1K

4.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.63 Rp 29.3K

38.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.08 Rp 19.4K

67.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.64 Rp 11.4K

251.56%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.43 Rp 25.7K

57.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$5.37 Rp 96.4K

263.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

28.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$4.26 Rp 76.4K

206.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.23 Rp 40.1K

44.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.59 Rp 28.5K

1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.83 Rp 32.7K

30.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.57 Rp 28.1K

29.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.25 Rp 22.5K

22.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.56 Rp 28.0K

-3.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.45 Rp 7,996

117.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.47 Rp 8,467

10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.52 Rp 45.2K

76.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$22.33 Rp 400.6K

-17.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.02 Rp 36.2K

-7.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.43 Rp 43.5K

10.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.30 Rp 5,294

370.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$4.56 Rp 81.9K

156.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.56 Rp 10.1K

455.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.29 Rp 5,126

258.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$3.13 Rp 56.1K

350.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

67.95%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$16.7K Rp 299.7M

66.50%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$18.4K Rp 330.9M

80.08%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$66.8 Rp 1.2M

83.24%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$3.59 Rp 64.4K

278.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$32.49 Rp 582.8K

-42.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$23.23 Rp 416.7K

160.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$6.09 Rp 109.3K

178.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.15 Rp 56.5K

187.94%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$106 Rp 1.9M

564.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,103 Rp 73.6M

285.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$29.14 Rp 522.7K

100.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$25.17 Rp 451.6K

40.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$83.2 Rp 1.5M

38.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$43.19 Rp 774.8K

93.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$214 Rp 3.8M

191.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$168 Rp 3.0M

165.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$425 Rp 7.6M

379.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$338 Rp 6.1M

340.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$1,355 Rp 24.3M

157.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$545 Rp 9.8M

372.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$209 Rp 3.7M

139.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-11.17%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Makassar: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $214 in Makassar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 139% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Makassar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $188 per month, with Makassar 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 Makassar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makassar wins on cost – living expenses run 88% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Makassar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 139% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $214 in Makassar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Makassar runs roughly 157% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $106 in Makassar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $665 in Makassar versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makassar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Makassar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Makassar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $665 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Makassar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Makassar 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 Makassar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.