Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mataram

For one person, living is cheaper in Mataram: $605 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Mataram
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Mataram Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Mataram

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mataram

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $605 in Mataram.

Phuket $1,278
Mataram $605

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

Phuket $2,216
Mataram $977

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,348 in Mataram.

Phuket $3,154
Mataram $1,348

Living in Phuket is roughly 111% more expensive than in Mataram, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Mataram 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

347.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$8.82 Rp 159.8K

267.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.24 Rp 58.7K

171.91%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.53 Rp 27.7K

84.97%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.46 Rp 8,344

89.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.30 Rp 5,390

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.68 Rp 48.5K

-4.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.36 Rp 61.0K

9.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.37 Rp 24.9K

21.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.47 Rp 26.6K

-0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

78.57%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.39 Rp 25.2K

50.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.07 Rp 146.3K

136.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.85 Rp 51.7K

15.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.47 Rp 135.4K

46.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.06 Rp 37.2K

42.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.18 Rp 21.3K

43.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.53 Rp 27.7K

47.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.24 Rp 22.4K

67.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.26 Rp 22.9K

19.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$2.17 Rp 39.4K

-36.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

35.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.39 Rp 7,106

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.60 Rp 47.2K

61.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$21.31 Rp 386.1K

-11.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.82 Rp 33.0K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$3.12 Rp 56.6K

-8.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.21 Rp 3,809

590.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$11.53 Rp 209.0K

391.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.49 Rp 8,897

516.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.37 Rp 6,626

175.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.80 Rp 50.7K

31.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.57 Rp 10.2K

157.89%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$22.9K Rp 415.3M

16.82%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$29.7K Rp 538.7M

-10.22%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$57.9 Rp 1.0M

66.38%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$3.75 Rp 67.9K

200.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$18.52 Rp 335.6K

-9.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$18.47 Rp 334.6K

264.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$7.43 Rp 134.6K

44.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.73 Rp 49.5K

174.73%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

382.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$8,614 Rp 156.1M

30.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$40.36 Rp 731.4K

54.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$28.06 Rp 508.4K

1.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$74.8 Rp 1.4M

25.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$69.9 Rp 1.3M

22.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$228 Rp 4.1M

214.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$130 Rp 2.4M

278.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$516 Rp 9.3M

273.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$371 Rp 6.7M

285.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,170 Rp 21.2M

256.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$752 Rp 13.6M

304.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$217 Rp 3.9M

132.00%

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 Mataram: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Mataram

$130 21.4% 73.6% $361

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Mataram

$202 33.4% 24.2% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Mataram

$80 13.2% 35.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mataram

$96 15.8% 21.3% $26

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mataram

$59 9.8% 51.4% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Mataram

$24 4% 70.9% $58

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Mataram

$15 2.4% 79.2% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $228 in Mataram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $9 in Mataram for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $202 per month, with Mataram cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 Mataram

🕒 Local time

11:57 11:57 AM

12:57 12:57 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

402,843

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Mataram 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mataram

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 Mataram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $605 in Mataram, so Mataram is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Phuket is about 2.3 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 $228 in Mataram. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mataram – a meal for two runs $9 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $605 in Mataram versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Mataram but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mataram 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 Mataram gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.