Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Malang

For one person, living is cheaper in Malang: $464 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Malang
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Malang Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Malang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$464

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Malang

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $464 in Malang, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Malang $464

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $713 in Malang, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Malang $713

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $963 in Malang, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Malang $963

Phuket costs about 176% more than Malang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Malang are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Malang 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

295.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$11.09 Rp 201.6K

192.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$2.80 Rp 50.9K

214.64%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$1.25 Rp 22.8K

126.40%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.56 Rp 10.2K

55.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.21 Rp 3,814

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$2.24 Rp 40.7K

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.17 Rp 75.7K

-11.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

76.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.07 Rp 19.4K

36.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.77 Rp 14.0K

94.81%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.17 Rp 21.2K

78.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$5.60 Rp 101.8K

240.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.00 Rp 54.6K

10.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.89 Rp 125.2K

58.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$1.98 Rp 36.0K

47.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.29 Rp 23.5K

31.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.51 Rp 27.5K

49.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.39 Rp 25.3K

49.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.30 Rp 23.6K

16.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.92 Rp 34.9K

-28.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.50 Rp 9,005

114.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.42 Rp 7,671

23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.57 Rp 46.8K

63.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$12.41 Rp 225.5K

51.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.65 Rp 30.0K

10.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.86 Rp 52.0K

-0.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.58 Rp 10.6K

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$5.39 Rp 97.9K

951.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.49 Rp 8,935

516.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.38 Rp 6,881

168.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$5.61 Rp 101.9K

-34.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

101.37%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$25.1K Rp 456.1M

6.70%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$27.4K Rp 498.3M

-2.64%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$30.88 Rp 561.3K

212.01%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$2.30 Rp 41.8K

389.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$19.26 Rp 350.1K

-12.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$14.37 Rp 261.2K

367.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$4.58 Rp 83.2K

134.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$1.88 Rp 34.2K

298.94%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$30.06 Rp 546.3K

1483.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$9,230 Rp 167.8M

22.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$55.7 Rp 1.0M

11.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$22.42 Rp 407.4K

26.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$50.8 Rp 923.6K

85.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$35.21 Rp 639.9K

143.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$136 Rp 2.5M

425.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$89.5 Rp 1.6M

448.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$196 Rp 3.6M

884.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$154 Rp 2.8M

829.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$201 Rp 3.6M

150.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

39.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Malang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Malang

$89 19.3% 81.8% $401

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Malang

$165 35.5% 38.2% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Malang

$52 11.3% 57.9% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Malang

$74 15.9% 39.4% $48

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Malang

$55 11.9% 54.8% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Malang

$18 3.9% 78% $64

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Malang

$10 2.2% 85.7% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $136 in Malang. 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 2.5 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $11 in Malang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $165 – making Malang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 Malang

🕒 Local time

21:01 9:01 PM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

857,891

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,228 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Malang 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Malang

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 Malang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 176%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $695 in Malang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Malang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Public transport costs about 90% less in Malang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $30 in Malang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Malang, where all-in costs run around $464, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Malang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Malang – 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 Malang. 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.