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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $666 in Pontianak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,038 in Pontianak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,409 in Pontianak.

Living in Phuket is roughly 85% more expensive than Pontianak, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Pontianak 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$1.49 Rp 25.9K

210.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$12.48 Rp 216.3K

275.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$3.16 Rp 54.8K

179.75%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.73 Rp 29.9K

73.41%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.55 Rp 9,476

34.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.26 Rp 4,460

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.11 Rp 53.9K

-21.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.40 Rp 41.6K

50.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.23 Rp 21.2K

83.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.14 Rp 19.7K

61.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.92 Rp 16.0K

143.48%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.58 Rp 27.4K

46.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.05 Rp 139.5K

144.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.24 Rp 56.1K

12.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.94 Rp 137.6K

64.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.36 Rp 41.0K

43.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.51 Rp 26.2K

8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.86 Rp 32.2K

29.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.50 Rp 26.1K

35.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.36 Rp 23.6K

14.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.88 Rp 32.6K

-20.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.90 Rp 15.6K

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.42 Rp 7,272

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.83 Rp 31.7K

143.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$22.33 Rp 387.1K

-15.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.11 Rp 36.6K

-15.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.09 Rp 53.5K

-11.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.30 Rp 5,168

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$9.68 Rp 167.7K

18.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.53 Rp 9,206

488.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.34 Rp 5,944

194.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.95 Rp 51.1K

377.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

60.71%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$24.5K Rp 424.0M

11.13%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.1K Rp 470.1M

21.39%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$69.5 Rp 1.2M

79.90%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$4.26 Rp 73.8K

218.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$22.38 Rp 387.8K

-17.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$22.87 Rp 396.4K

168.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$6.18 Rp 107.1K

172.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.01 Rp 52.3K

205.32%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$92.0 Rp 1.6M

658.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,626 Rp 132.2M

104.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$40.97 Rp 710.2K

40.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$30.91 Rp 535.7K

14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$66.1 Rp 1.1M

71.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

15.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$255 Rp 4.4M

141.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$155 Rp 2.7M

188.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$596 Rp 10.3M

243.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$331 Rp 5.7M

350.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,116 Rp 19.3M

238.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$828 Rp 14.3M

220.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$355 Rp 6.1M

47.70%

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 Pontianak: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $255 in Pontianak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 48% 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 $212 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 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 48% 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 $255 in Pontianak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $92.0 in Pontianak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $666 in Pontianak versus $1,232 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 85% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.