Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Salatiga Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Salatiga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $657 in Salatiga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,000 in Salatiga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,343 in Salatiga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 87% more expensive than Salatiga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Salatiga 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$0.96 Rp 16.6K

382.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$10.27 Rp 177.9K

356.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$3.14 Rp 54.5K

181.53%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.59 Rp 27.5K

88.68%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.35 Rp 6,023

111.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.23 Rp 3,995

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.21 Rp 38.3K

10.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

-8.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.38 Rp 24.0K

63.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.52 Rp 26.3K

21.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.91 Rp 15.7K

146.15%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.26 Rp 21.8K

84.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.00 Rp 156.0K

118.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.71 Rp 47.0K

34.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$8.35 Rp 144.8K

56.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.37 Rp 41.1K

43.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.51 Rp 26.2K

8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.12 Rp 36.7K

13.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.49 Rp 25.9K

36.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.39 Rp 24.0K

12.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.78 Rp 30.8K

-15.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.38 Rp 6,604

168.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.42 Rp 7,282

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

90.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$25.76 Rp 446.5K

-26.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.77 Rp 30.6K

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.16 Rp 54.8K

-12.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.32 Rp 5,606

337.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$10.01 Rp 173.6K

14.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.48 Rp 8,294

550.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.31 Rp 5,453

222.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.73 Rp 47.2K

416.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

95.65%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.5K Rp 354.7M

32.83%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.5K Rp 614.5M

-7.14%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$84.2 Rp 1.5M

48.45%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$4.31 Rp 74.6K

214.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$19.87 Rp 344.4K

-6.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$22.82 Rp 395.6K

169.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$5.99 Rp 103.9K

181.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$2.12 Rp 36.8K

333.49%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$191 Rp 3.3M

265.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$9,480 Rp 164.3M

64.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$42.61 Rp 738.5K

35.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$12.36 Rp 214.2K

185.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$50.0 Rp 866.6K

126.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$82.4 Rp 1.4M

4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$254 Rp 4.4M

142.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$157 Rp 2.7M

183.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$588 Rp 10.2M

248.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$333 Rp 5.8M

348.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,211 Rp 21.0M

212.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$745 Rp 12.9M

255.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.33

-36.01%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Salatiga: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $254 in Salatiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $10.00 in Salatiga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $221 per month, with Salatiga 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 Salatiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salatiga is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $986 in Salatiga to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $254 in Salatiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $191 in Salatiga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $657 in Salatiga versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Salatiga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Salatiga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Salatiga 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 Salatiga 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 Salatiga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.