Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Semarang

For one person, living is cheaper in Semarang: $593 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Semarang
Learn more

Semarang Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Semarang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Semarang

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 Semarang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $593 in Semarang.

Phuket $1,278
Semarang $593

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $938 in Semarang.

Phuket $2,216
Semarang $938

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,282 in Semarang.

Phuket $3,154
Semarang $1,282

Living in Phuket is roughly 115% more expensive than in Semarang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Semarang 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

233.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$10.53 Rp 191.3K

207.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.04 Rp 55.3K

189.80%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$1.28 Rp 23.2K

121.09%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.43 Rp 7,808

102.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.16 Rp 2,847

206.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

56.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.25 Rp 59.1K

13.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

58.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.92 Rp 16.7K

58.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.79 Rp 14.4K

89.87%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

77.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$3.86 Rp 70.2K

394.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.33 Rp 42.4K

41.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.55 Rp 137.3K

44.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$1.96 Rp 35.7K

49.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

32.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.80 Rp 32.8K

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.47 Rp 26.7K

41.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

17.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.89 Rp 34.3K

-26.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.93 Rp 17.0K

15.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.40 Rp 7,359

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.87 Rp 34.1K

124.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$25.05 Rp 455.2K

-24.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

10.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.95 Rp 35.4K

45.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.21 Rp 3,816

590.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$13.93 Rp 253.1K

306.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.50 Rp 9,128

504.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.29 Rp 5,331

251.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.69 Rp 48.8K

37.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.77 Rp 14.0K

90.91%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$24.5K Rp 446.0M

9.12%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$32.2K Rp 585.5M

-17.15%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$86.1 Rp 1.6M

11.87%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

321.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$18.96 Rp 344.7K

-11.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$20.30 Rp 368.9K

231.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$4.49 Rp 81.5K

138.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.25 Rp 40.9K

233.33%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$49.33 Rp 896.6K

864.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$2,076 Rp 37.7M

442.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$34.61 Rp 629.1K

80.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$29.31 Rp 532.7K

-3.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$56.4 Rp 1.0M

67.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$38.07 Rp 691.9K

125.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$226 Rp 4.1M

216.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$136 Rp 2.5M

259.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$477 Rp 8.7M

303.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$380 Rp 6.9M

276.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,223 Rp 22.2M

241.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$833 Rp 15.1M

265.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$186 Rp 3.4M

170.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.82

-36.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Semarang: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Semarang

$136 23% 72.2% $355

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Semarang

$184 31% 30.9% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Semarang

$108 18.2% 13.4% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Semarang

$71 12% 41.5% $51

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Semarang

$52 8.8% 57.1% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Semarang

$25 4.2% 69.8% $57

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Semarang

$17 2.8% 76.3% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $226 in Semarang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $11 in Semarang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $184 per month, with Semarang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 Semarang

🕒 Local time

06:45 6:45 AM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,555,984

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Semarang 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Semarang

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 Semarang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Semarang is about 54% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Phuket is about 2.7 times higher, 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 $226 in Semarang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $49 in Semarang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $593 in Semarang versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Semarang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Semarang 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 Semarang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.