Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samarinda

For one person, living is cheaper in Samarinda: $652 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Samarinda
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Samarinda Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Samarinda

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$652

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Samarinda

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Samarinda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $652 in Samarinda.

Phuket $1,278
Samarinda $652

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,055 in Samarinda.

Phuket $2,216
Samarinda $1,055

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,457 in Samarinda.

Phuket $3,154
Samarinda $1,457

Living in Phuket is roughly 96% more expensive than in Samarinda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Samarinda 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.63 Rp 29.6K

174.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$13.90 Rp 252.0K

133.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.33 Rp 60.4K

164.56%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.45 Rp 26.3K

95.17%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.45 Rp 8,244

93.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.24 Rp 4,368

104.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.17 Rp 39.4K

17.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.50 Rp 63.5K

5.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.06 Rp 19.2K

56.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

69.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.64 Rp 11.7K

134.38%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.37 Rp 24.8K

52.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.12 Rp 129.1K

167.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.54 Rp 64.2K

-6.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.03 Rp 181.9K

8.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$4.99 Rp 90.5K

-41.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.09 Rp 19.8K

55.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.07 Rp 19.5K

110.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.41 Rp 25.6K

47.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.29 Rp 23.4K

17.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

-23.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

32.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.51 Rp 9,225

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.07 Rp 37.5K

102.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$21.12 Rp 383.0K

-11.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.96 Rp 35.5K

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.92 Rp 53.0K

-2.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.21 Rp 3,781

590.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$11.71 Rp 212.4K

383.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.50 Rp 9,006

504.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.33 Rp 6,003

209.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.80 Rp 50.9K

31.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

81.48%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$22.3K Rp 404.4M

20.08%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$31.5K Rp 571.7M

-15.32%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$63.1 Rp 1.1M

52.77%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$3.84 Rp 69.7K

193.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$18.56 Rp 336.6K

-9.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$18.49 Rp 335.4K

263.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$7.04 Rp 127.7K

52.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.73 Rp 49.6K

174.73%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

382.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$8,897 Rp 161.4M

26.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$40.26 Rp 730.3K

54.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$27.22 Rp 493.8K

4.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$70.8 Rp 1.3M

33.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$64.6 Rp 1.2M

32.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$210 Rp 3.8M

241.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$161 Rp 2.9M

204.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$527 Rp 9.6M

265.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$420 Rp 7.6M

240.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,231 Rp 22.3M

239.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$819 Rp 14.9M

271.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$327 Rp 5.9M

53.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.46

-41.12%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Samarinda: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Samarinda

$161 24.8% 67.1% $329

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Samarinda

$214 32.8% 19.7% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Samarinda

$85 13.1% 31.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Samarinda

$91 14% 25.1% $31

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Samarinda

$61 9.4% 49.8% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Samarinda

$24 3.7% 70.9% $58

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Samarinda

$15 2.3% 79.2% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $210 in Samarinda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 54% 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: $32 in Phuket vs $14 in Samarinda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $214 per month, with Samarinda cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 Samarinda

🕒 Local time

11:34 11:34 AM

12:34 12:34 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

726,223

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Samarinda 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Samarinda

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 49% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $210 in Samarinda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $99 in Samarinda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $652 in Samarinda versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Samarinda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.