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 $651 in Padang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,007 in Padang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,363 in Padang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 89% more expensive than in Padang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Padang 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.74 Rp 30.9K

153.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$12.43 Rp 220.0K

159.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$3.04 Rp 53.7K

193.75%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.49 Rp 26.4K

94.63%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.38 Rp 6,734

131.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.26 Rp 4,533

84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.71 Rp 48.0K

-13.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.93 Rp 69.6K

-5.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.17 Rp 20.8K

59.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.95 Rp 16.9K

54.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.92 Rp 16.3K

68.48%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.45 Rp 25.6K

44.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.29 Rp 111.4K

211.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.60 Rp 46.0K

31.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$7.98 Rp 141.3K

42.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.02 Rp 35.7K

47.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.16 Rp 20.5K

44.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

35.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.17 Rp 20.7K

84.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.35 Rp 23.8K

12.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.93 Rp 34.2K

-30.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.83 Rp 14.7K

36.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.44 Rp 7,865

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.71 Rp 48.0K

57.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$23.01 Rp 407.4K

-17.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.00 Rp 35.5K

-11.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.74 Rp 48.5K

1.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.30 Rp 5,325

643.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.51 Rp 9,086

494.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.29 Rp 5,191

251.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$2.53 Rp 44.8K

53.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.69 Rp 12.1K

115.94%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$22.8K Rp 404.2M

16.44%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$30.6K Rp 542.5M

-11.78%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$74.1 Rp 1.3M

38.38%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$4.30 Rp 76.2K

163.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$17.79 Rp 315.1K

-2.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$19.96 Rp 353.4K

160.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$7.45 Rp 132.0K

48.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$2.46 Rp 43.5K

212.60%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$99.6 Rp 1.8M

462.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$7,742 Rp 137.1M

48.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$44.85 Rp 794.2K

40.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$29.67 Rp 525.3K

-0.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

33.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

9.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$236 Rp 4.2M

212.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$140 Rp 2.5M

245.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$513 Rp 9.1M

310.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$359 Rp 6.4M

241.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,358 Rp 24.0M

166.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$634 Rp 11.2M

310.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$170 Rp 3.0M

190.46%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Padang: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $236 in Padang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 190% 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 $12.00 in Padang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $194 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 89% 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.

Average pay runs 190% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $236 in Padang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $651 in Padang – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $651 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 $651 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 89% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.