Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Semarang Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Semarang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $581 in Semarang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $928 in Semarang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,274 in Semarang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 118% more expensive than in Semarang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Semarang 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$1.45 Rp 25.5K

221.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$10.54 Rp 185.6K

205.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$3.14 Rp 55.3K

176.43%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.24 Rp 21.9K

133.87%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.49 Rp 8,635

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.18 Rp 3,148

172.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

41.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.43 Rp 60.3K

8.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.12 Rp 19.8K

68.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.96 Rp 16.9K

46.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.79 Rp 14.0K

105.06%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.38 Rp 24.3K

62.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$5.66 Rp 99.6K

250.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$2.36 Rp 41.6K

47.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$8.16 Rp 143.6K

39.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.52 Rp 44.5K

15.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.53 Rp 27.0K

12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.81 Rp 31.9K

25.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

36.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.79 Rp 31.5K

-17.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$2.23 Rp 39.3K

-36.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.83 Rp 14.6K

32.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.42 Rp 7,375

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.26 Rp 39.8K

90.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$14.17 Rp 249.5K

31.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.35 Rp 41.4K

-23.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.70 Rp 47.5K

10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.24 Rp 4,246

837.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$14.32 Rp 252.2K

64.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.89 Rp 15.6K

248.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.29 Rp 5,129

272.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

78.75%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$23.0K Rp 405.1M

20.77%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$31.1K Rp 547.6M

-13.24%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$68.1 Rp 1.2M

53.96%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$2.69 Rp 47.3K

323.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$20.77 Rp 365.6K

-15.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$21.00 Rp 369.8K

158.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$4.76 Rp 83.8K

140.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$2.22 Rp 39.1K

250.45%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$40.97 Rp 721.3K

1307.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$2,231 Rp 39.3M

419.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$28.65 Rp 504.3K

122.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$29.45 Rp 518.4K

-1.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$58.8 Rp 1.0M

63.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$39.84 Rp 701.5K

125.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$229 Rp 4.0M

220.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$143 Rp 2.5M

249.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$496 Rp 8.7M

328.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$394 Rp 6.9M

218.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,178 Rp 20.7M

200.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$557 Rp 9.8M

371.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$196 Rp 3.5M

158.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.83

-28.86%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Semarang: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $229 in Semarang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 159% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Semarang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $183 per month, with Semarang 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 Semarang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Semarang is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 118% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 159% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $229 in Semarang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $40.97 in Semarang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $581 in Semarang versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 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.

For families, Semarang 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 Semarang 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 Semarang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.