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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $616 in Salatiga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $944 in Salatiga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $1,273 in Salatiga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 105% more expensive than in Salatiga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Salatiga 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$0.94 Rp 16.7K

371.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$9.33 Rp 165.9K

275.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$2.84 Rp 50.4K

215.49%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.36 Rp 24.2K

120.59%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$0.31 Rp 5,574

148.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.19 Rp 3,425

147.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$1.92 Rp 34.2K

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$4.10 Rp 73.0K

-8.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.20 Rp 21.4K

51.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$1.35 Rp 24.0K

5.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

93.75%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.23 Rp 21.9K

73.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$7.90 Rp 140.4K

150.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$3.10 Rp 55.0K

12.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$7.68 Rp 136.4K

44.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$2.04 Rp 36.3K

42.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.31 Rp 23.2K

26.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.85 Rp 32.9K

22.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.49 Rp 26.4K

40.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$1.31 Rp 23.3K

12.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$1.91 Rp 33.9K

-26.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$0.33 Rp 5,829

230.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.38 Rp 6,793

42.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$2.00 Rp 35.5K

124.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$25.31 Rp 449.9K

-26.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.70 Rp 30.2K

8.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$2.89 Rp 51.3K

2.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.26 Rp 4,698

769.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$0.47 Rp 8,287

546.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.44 Rp 7,751

147.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$2.58 Rp 45.9K

48.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$0.67 Rp 12.0K

122.39%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$24.9K Rp 443.4M

10.01%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$33.1K Rp 588.7M

-16.94%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$85.4 Rp 1.5M

19.26%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$4.82 Rp 85.7K

134.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$19.78 Rp 351.6K

-10.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$19.81 Rp 352.2K

173.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$9.64 Rp 171.4K

13.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$1.99 Rp 35.4K

294.47%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$93.6 Rp 1.7M

516.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$8,200 Rp 145.7M

41.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$22.58 Rp 401.4K

189.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$11.23 Rp 199.7K

157.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$45.59 Rp 810.4K

117.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$74.9 Rp 1.3M

20.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$220 Rp 3.9M

242.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$147 Rp 2.6M

230.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$476 Rp 8.5M

338.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$343 Rp 6.1M

252.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$1,130 Rp 20.1M

217.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$708 Rp 12.6M

268.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.5

-25.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Salatiga: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $220 in Salatiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Salatiga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $207 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, Getting Around. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $924 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: $756 in Phuket versus $220 in Salatiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $93.6 in Salatiga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Salatiga – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $35.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $616 in Salatiga versus $1,261 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 105% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.