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 $655 in Salatiga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,018 in Salatiga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,380 in Salatiga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 92% more expensive than Salatiga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Salatiga 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$0.96 Rp 17.2K

375.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$10.08 Rp 180.5K

362.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.00 Rp 53.8K

182.33%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.56 Rp 28.0K

94.23%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.35 Rp 6,186

97.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.23 Rp 4,123

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.13 Rp 38.1K

16.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.94 Rp 70.6K

-7.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.32 Rp 23.6K

65.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.45 Rp 26.0K

31.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.91 Rp 16.2K

141.76%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.26 Rp 22.6K

76.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.13 Rp 163.6K

118.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

30.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$8.40 Rp 150.6K

57.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.41 Rp 43.2K

34.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

10.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.48 Rp 26.6K

40.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

18.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.71 Rp 30.7K

-13.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.35 Rp 6,338

194.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.40 Rp 7,134

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.22 Rp 39.8K

91.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$24.45 Rp 438.0K

-23.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.86 Rp 33.3K

-5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$3.16 Rp 56.7K

-12.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.30 Rp 5,297

353.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$9.71 Rp 174.0K

16.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.47 Rp 8,434

568.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.31 Rp 5,588

235.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.80 Rp 50.1K

391.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.69 Rp 12.4K

94.20%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$21.2K Rp 380.5M

30.32%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$35.7K Rp 639.6M

-5.14%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$85.0 Rp 1.5M

45.47%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

212.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$19.52 Rp 349.8K

-4.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$22.89 Rp 410.1K

170.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$6.29 Rp 112.7K

174.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$2.18 Rp 39.0K

319.27%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$190 Rp 3.4M

269.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$9,312 Rp 166.8M

70.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$42.97 Rp 769.8K

38.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$12.45 Rp 223.0K

181.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$49.70 Rp 890.4K

131.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$81.8 Rp 1.5M

2.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$260 Rp 4.7M

137.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$158 Rp 2.8M

173.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$597 Rp 10.7M

245.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$333 Rp 6.0M

353.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,177 Rp 21.1M

209.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$744 Rp 13.3M

252.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Salatiga: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $260 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 $293 vs $218 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 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $983 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: $619 in Phuket versus $260 in Salatiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $190 in Salatiga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $655 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 92% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.