Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Padang Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Padang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $677 in Padang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,039 in Padang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,401 in Padang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 82% more expensive than Padang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Padang 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$1.57 Rp 27.2K

194.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$12.46 Rp 216.0K

275.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$3.30 Rp 57.1K

167.88%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.73 Rp 30.0K

73.41%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.54 Rp 9,428

37.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.28 Rp 4,875

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.44 Rp 42.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.59 Rp 62.3K

0.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.21 Rp 21.0K

86.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.13 Rp 19.6K

62.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.90 Rp 15.6K

148.89%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.59 Rp 27.6K

45.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.06 Rp 139.7K

144.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.20 Rp 55.4K

14.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.82 Rp 135.5K

67.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.39 Rp 41.5K

41.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.49 Rp 25.8K

10.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.81 Rp 31.4K

33.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.57 Rp 27.2K

29.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.33 Rp 23.0K

17.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.94 Rp 33.6K

-22.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.97 Rp 16.8K

5.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.41 Rp 7,095

19.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.56 Rp 44.4K

73.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$25.62 Rp 444.0K

-26.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.02 Rp 35.0K

-11.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.24 Rp 56.2K

-15.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.29 Rp 5,108

382.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$9.63 Rp 166.9K

19.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.58 Rp 9,975

437.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.38 Rp 6,501

163.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.86 Rp 49.5K

392.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.78 Rp 13.5K

73.08%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$24.9K Rp 431.8M

9.12%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.2K Rp 472.1M

20.86%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$70.0 Rp 1.2M

78.52%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$4.39 Rp 76.0K

209.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$23.09 Rp 400.1K

-19.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$22.59 Rp 391.6K

172.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$6.00 Rp 104.0K

180.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.16 Rp 54.8K

190.82%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$93.1 Rp 1.6M

650.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,495 Rp 129.9M

108.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$41.51 Rp 719.4K

39.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$31.12 Rp 539.4K

13.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$66.5 Rp 1.2M

70.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$75.3 Rp 1.3M

14.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$253 Rp 4.4M

143.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$157 Rp 2.7M

184.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$597 Rp 10.3M

243.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$328 Rp 5.7M

355.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,127 Rp 19.5M

235.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$780 Rp 13.5M

239.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$177 Rp 3.1M

195.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.15

-41.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Padang: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $253 in Padang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 196% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Padang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $218 per month, with Padang 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 Padang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Padang wins on cost – living expenses run 82% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Padang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Phuket pays 196% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $253 in Padang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Padang runs roughly 19% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $93.1 in Padang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $677 in Padang versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Padang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Padang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Padang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $677 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Padang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Padang 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 Padang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.