Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pontianak

For one person, living is cheaper in Pontianak: $477 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Pontianak

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Pontianak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $477 in Pontianak.

Phuket $1,294
Pontianak $477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $594 in Pontianak.

Phuket $2,204
Pontianak $594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $710 in Pontianak.

Phuket $3,115
Pontianak $710

Living in Phuket is roughly 171% more expensive than in Pontianak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Pontianak 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$1.72 Rp 31.2K

155.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,085

$8.33 Rp 151.1K

287.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

$2.87 Rp 52.1K

203.14%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

128.57%

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

$0.93 ฿31.25

$0.49 Rp 8,911

89.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.78

$0.21 Rp 3,807

138.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.0

$2.70 Rp 49.0K

-6.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$3.50 Rp 63.5K

3.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

70.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.73

$1.36 Rp 24.8K

6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.98 Rp 17.8K

53.06%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$1.43 Rp 25.9K

51.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿641

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$3.24 Rp 58.7K

4.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.8

$3.11 Rp 56.5K

-5.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.90 Rp 34.5K

-11.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.7

$2.19 Rp 39.7K

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.99

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.95

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.14

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.32

$0.52 Rp 9,437

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$2.68 Rp 48.6K

65.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿613

$22.33 Rp 405.0K

-18.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.5

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

-2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$2.11 Rp 38.3K

36.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.62

$0.29 Rp 5,286

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.8

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.96

$0.72 Rp 13.1K

106.94%

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

$26.9K ฿902.9K

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

$26.3K ฿884.9K

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

$97.8 ฿3,285

$70.2 Rp 1.3M

39.29%

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

$11.29 ฿379

$5.39 Rp 97.8K

109.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿577

$21.93 Rp 397.8K

-21.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,295

$23.39 Rp 424.3K

192.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$11.57 Rp 209.9K

-5.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$3.61 Rp 65.5K

105.82%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿630.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,072

$33.74 Rp 612.0K

82.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿949

$33.44 Rp 606.7K

-15.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,225

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,916

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$164 Rp 3.0M

340.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$108 Rp 2.0M

370.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$263 Rp 4.8M

86.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pontianak: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Pontianak

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Pontianak

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Pontianak

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Pontianak

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Pontianak

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Pontianak

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Pontianak

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $164 in Pontianak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 87% 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 in Phuket vs $8 in Pontianak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $150 per month, with Pontianak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 Pontianak

🕒 Local time

09:30 9:30 AM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

672,440

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.9 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 = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,421 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.9 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Pontianak 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Pontianak

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 Pontianak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pontianak is about 63% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 87% 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: $721 in Phuket versus $164 in Pontianak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pontianak – a meal for two runs $8 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $477 in Pontianak versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Pontianak wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.