Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samarinda Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samarinda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $696 in Samarinda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,067 in Samarinda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,439 in Samarinda.

Living in Phuket is roughly 82% more expensive than in Samarinda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Samarinda 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

194.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$12.05 Rp 217.5K

278.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.87 Rp 106.0K

49.23%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.65 Rp 29.8K

80.00%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.49 Rp 8,909

40.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.38 Rp 6,902

2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.47 Rp 44.6K

2.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.58 Rp 64.7K

4.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

83.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

95.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.77 Rp 13.9K

183.12%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

41.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.96 Rp 143.6K

151.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.98 Rp 71.8K

-8.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.94 Rp 197.5K

23.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$5.68 Rp 102.6K

-42.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.26 Rp 22.8K

30.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.20 Rp 21.6K

94.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.58 Rp 28.5K

31.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.45 Rp 26.1K

6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.02 Rp 36.5K

-27.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.91 Rp 16.5K

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.55 Rp 10.0K

-12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.26 Rp 40.9K

92.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$20.14 Rp 363.6K

-7.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.04 Rp 36.7K

-8.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.21 Rp 58.0K

-17.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.32 Rp 5,810

343.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$10.05 Rp 181.4K

15.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

237.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.38 Rp 6,821

171.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

387.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

109.38%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$24.5K Rp 441.9M

13.53%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$27.4K Rp 495.4M

21.63%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$70.0 Rp 1.3M

75.76%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$4.32 Rp 78.1K

218.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$23.17 Rp 418.2K

-20.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$23.10 Rp 417.0K

162.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$6.00 Rp 108.3K

186.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$3.15 Rp 56.8K

181.59%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$95.0 Rp 1.7M

624.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$7,587 Rp 137.0M

107.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$41.68 Rp 752.4K

42.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$30.38 Rp 548.5K

14.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$67.4 Rp 1.2M

70.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$75.3 Rp 1.4M

11.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$257 Rp 4.6M

141.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$156 Rp 2.8M

186.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$581 Rp 10.5M

249.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$337 Rp 6.1M

344.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,237 Rp 22.3M

179.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$667 Rp 12.0M

279.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$322 Rp 5.8M

53.29%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Samarinda: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $257 in Samarinda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 53% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Samarinda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $231 per month, with Samarinda 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 Samarinda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samarinda is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 53% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $257 in Samarinda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $95.0 in Samarinda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $696 in Samarinda versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Samarinda but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Samarinda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Samarinda 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 Samarinda 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 Samarinda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.