Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Medan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Medan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $640 in Medan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $988 in Medan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,336 in Medan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 95% more expensive than in Medan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Medan 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$1.88 Rp 33.7K

142.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$10.72 Rp 192.3K

330.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$3.28 Rp 58.9K

169.51%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.80 Rp 32.2K

70.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.39 Rp 7,050

87.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.27 Rp 4,869

48.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.55 Rp 27.9K

56.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$5.24 Rp 94.1K

-27.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.18 Rp 21.1K

91.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.18 Rp 21.1K

53.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

171.08%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.53 Rp 27.4K

47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.39 Rp 168.5K

107.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.71 Rp 66.5K

-1.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.83 Rp 122.5K

91.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.32 Rp 41.7K

39.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.00 Rp 17.9K

62.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

55.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$0.88 Rp 15.8K

130.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

104.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.27 Rp 22.7K

18.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.45 Rp 8,160

117.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.49 Rp 8,802

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.48 Rp 44.5K

79.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$15.90 Rp 285.2K

15.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.36 Rp 24.4K

36.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$3.17 Rp 56.9K

-15.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.32 Rp 5,826

340.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$9.59 Rp 172.0K

22.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.58 Rp 10.4K

436.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.22 Rp 3,955

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$6.17 Rp 110.8K

128.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

59.76%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$28.0K Rp 502.7M

-0.73%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$33.9K Rp 608.1M

-2.02%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$83.7 Rp 1.5M

46.37%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$3.67 Rp 65.9K

270.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$34.25 Rp 614.4K

-45.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$23.20 Rp 416.2K

160.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$7.12 Rp 127.7K

138.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.49 Rp 62.7K

159.89%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$123 Rp 2.2M

476.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$10.6K Rp 190.0M

49.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$66.4 Rp 1.2M

-11.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$42.18 Rp 756.6K

-16.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$115 Rp 2.1M

0.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$65.5 Rp 1.2M

27.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$196 Rp 3.5M

219.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$100 Rp 1.8M

345.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$530 Rp 9.5M

284.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$232 Rp 4.2M

542.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$1,110 Rp 19.9M

213.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$550 Rp 9.9M

368.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$213 Rp 3.8M

134.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.25

-42.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $196 in Medan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 134% 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 $11.00 in Medan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $186 per month, with Medan 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 Medan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 134% 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 $196 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 22% 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 $123 in Medan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $640 in Medan versus $1,250 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 95% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.