Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Padang

For one person, living is cheaper in Padang: $613 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Padang
Learn more

Padang Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Padang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Padang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $613 in Padang.

Phuket $1,294
Padang $613

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,020 in Padang.

Phuket $2,204
Padang $1,020

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,426 in Padang.

Phuket $3,115
Padang $1,426

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Padang 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$1.66 Rp 30.2K

164.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,086

$15.67 Rp 284.5K

106.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

$3.26 Rp 59.3K

166.87%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.6

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

75.48%

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

$0.93 ฿31.28

$0.48 Rp 8,793

93.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.79

$0.24 Rp 4,295

108.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

$2.46 Rp 44.7K

2.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$3.87 Rp 70.2K

-6.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$1.16 Rp 21.1K

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.77

$1.22 Rp 22.2K

18.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.95 Rp 17.2K

57.89%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$1.45 Rp 26.3K

49.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿642

$7.94 Rp 144.2K

140.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$2.60 Rp 47.2K

30.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$8.39 Rp 152.4K

29.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.9

$2.01 Rp 36.4K

46.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.25 Rp 22.8K

35.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.8

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

33.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$1.15 Rp 20.9K

84.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.03

$1.22 Rp 22.2K

19.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.99

$2.06 Rp 37.4K

-33.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.17

$0.72 Rp 13.1K

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.34

$0.40 Rp 7,186

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$2.71 Rp 49.2K

63.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

$17.59 Rp 319.3K

3.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

$2.01 Rp 36.6K

-11.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$2.78 Rp 50.4K

3.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

$0.28 Rp 5,001

417.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

$11.91 Rp 216.2K

360.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.49 Rp 8,984

208.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.08

$0.28 Rp 5,167

178.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$3.06 Rp 55.5K

25.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$0.87 Rp 15.8K

71.26%

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

$26.9K ฿903.7K

$22.1K Rp 401.7M

21.48%

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

$26.3K ฿885.7K

$31.4K Rp 570.1M

-16.11%

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

$97.8 ฿3,288

$64.4 Rp 1.2M

51.78%

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

$11.29 ฿380

$4.68 Rp 85.0K

141.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿578

$21.24 Rp 385.6K

-19.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

$16.59 Rp 301.1K

311.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$7.09 Rp 128.7K

54.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$2.67 Rp 48.5K

178.28%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$90.6 Rp 1.6M

485.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿631.4K

$9,200 Rp 167.0M

104.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,073

$42.90 Rp 778.8K

43.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿950

$31.29 Rp 568.1K

-9.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,228

$66.1 Rp 1.2M

45.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,919

$64.4 Rp 1.2M

34.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$215 Rp 3.9M

234.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$138 Rp 2.5M

269.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

$607 Rp 11.0M

221.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

$421 Rp 7.6M

231.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

$1,143 Rp 20.7M

266.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

$690 Rp 12.5M

377.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$165 Rp 3.0M

197.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.45

-41.06%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Padang: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Padang

$138 22.5% 72.9% $371

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Padang

$192 31.2% 28.2% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Padang

$90 14.7% 28.5% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Padang

$92 15% 25% $31

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Padang

$65 10.5% 45.9% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Padang

$22 3.6% 73.6% $61

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Padang

$15 2.4% 77.4% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $215 in Padang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $16 in Padang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $192 per month, with Padang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 Padang

🕒 Local time

12:05 12:05 PM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,000,096

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.89 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18,155 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,438 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Padang 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Padang

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 Padang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Padang wins on cost – living expenses run 53% 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 in Phuket is about 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: $721 in Phuket versus $215 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 78% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $91 in Padang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $613 in Padang versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $800 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 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 Padang 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.