Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Medan

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Medan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $613 in Medan.

Phuket $1,207
Medan $613

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $940 in Medan.

Phuket $2,037
Medan $940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,266 in Medan.

Phuket $2,867
Medan $1,266

Living in Phuket is roughly 97% more expensive than in Medan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Medan 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

167.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

291.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

189.83%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

77.78%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.35 Rp 6,215

168.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.25 Rp 4,534

96.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

56.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

6.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

56.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

21.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

88.89%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

64.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

135.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

-8.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

75.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

22.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

61.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

129.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

82.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

-24.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.38 Rp 6,905

194.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.44 Rp 7,872

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

48.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

15.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

-4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

-7.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.27 Rp 4,816

722.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

272.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$0.51 Rp 9,186

470.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.19 Rp 3,465

431.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

86.25%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

8.14%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

-17.08%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

17.13%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

255.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

-26.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

208.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

29.01%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

130.09%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$112 Rp 2.0M

400.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

578.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

15.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

-25.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$108 Rp 1.9M

-10.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$111 Rp 2.0M

-20.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$233 Rp 4.2M

213.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

412.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$494 Rp 8.9M

324.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$212 Rp 3.8M

477.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

198.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$560 Rp 10.1M

344.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$215 Rp 3.9M

129.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.25

-39.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Medan

$90 14.6% 80.5% $370

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Medan

$181 29.5% 32.4% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Medan

$112 18.2% 12.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Medan

$140 22.9% 13.1% $16

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Medan

$59 9.6% 51.6% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Medan

$24 3.8% 65.1% $44

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Medan

$8.5 1.4% 78.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $233 in Medan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 129% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $8.00 in Medan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $181 per month, with Medan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 Medan

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

2,097,610

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Phuket Medan 480 km

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Phuket
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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 Medan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 129% 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: $729 in Phuket versus $233 in Medan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medan runs roughly 272% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $112 in Medan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $613 in Medan versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Medan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Medan 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 Medan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.