Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pontianak Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pontianak

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $677 in Pontianak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,020 in Pontianak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,364 in Pontianak.

Living in Phuket is roughly 81% more expensive than Pontianak, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$1.43 Rp 25.3K

215.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$12.24 Rp 216.9K

280.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$3.22 Rp 57.0K

163.66%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

84.43%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.54 Rp 9,641

25.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.28 Rp 5,016

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$3.14 Rp 55.6K

-22.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.48 Rp 44.0K

46.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.18 Rp 21.0K

85.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.12 Rp 19.9K

61.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$0.88 Rp 15.5K

153.41%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

40.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$8.06 Rp 142.8K

143.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$3.08 Rp 54.5K

20.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$7.99 Rp 141.5K

68.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.32 Rp 41.1K

44.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.48 Rp 26.2K

9.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.79 Rp 31.7K

34.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.50 Rp 26.6K

32.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.31 Rp 23.2K

16.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.97 Rp 34.9K

-26.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.96 Rp 16.9K

5.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.41 Rp 7,341

17.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$1.88 Rp 33.2K

127.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$21.83 Rp 386.8K

-12.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$2.04 Rp 36.2K

-9.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$3.16 Rp 56.0K

-13.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.33 Rp 5,758

330.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$9.71 Rp 172.0K

20.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.54 Rp 9,494

455.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.38 Rp 6,680

176.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$2.90 Rp 51.4K

379.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$0.80 Rp 14.1K

61.25%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$25.1K Rp 443.9M

11.89%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$27.7K Rp 490.5M

21.00%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$68.5 Rp 1.2M

78.00%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$4.25 Rp 75.3K

227.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$23.19 Rp 410.8K

-18.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$23.13 Rp 409.7K

164.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$6.08 Rp 107.7K

176.97%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$3.03 Rp 53.7K

193.40%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$94.7 Rp 1.7M

629.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$7,462 Rp 132.2M

116.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$41.86 Rp 741.6K

38.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$31.11 Rp 551.1K

13.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$65.7 Rp 1.2M

72.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$260 Rp 4.6M

133.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$156 Rp 2.8M

187.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$595 Rp 10.5M

241.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$330 Rp 5.8M

352.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$1,347 Rp 23.9M

166.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$670 Rp 11.9M

285.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$336 Rp 5.9M

50.42%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Pontianak: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $260 in Pontianak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 50% 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 Pontianak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $208 per month, with Pontianak 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 Pontianak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pontianak is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 50% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $260 in Pontianak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $94.7 in Pontianak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $677 in Pontianak versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pontianak but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pontianak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pontianak 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 Pontianak 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 Pontianak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.