Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sibolga Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sibolga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $600 in Sibolga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $943 in Sibolga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,285 in Sibolga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 110% more expensive than Sibolga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sibolga 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$1.52 Rp 27.3K

200.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$12.25 Rp 219.4K

280.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.34 Rp 59.8K

153.59%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.70 Rp 30.5K

78.24%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.55 Rp 9,781

25.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.26 Rp 4,610

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$3.02 Rp 54.0K

-17.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.60 Rp 46.5K

40.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

86.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.12 Rp 20.0K

69.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.92 Rp 16.5K

139.13%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.58 Rp 28.4K

40.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.94 Rp 142.2K

151.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.32 Rp 41.5K

57.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$9.04 Rp 162.0K

46.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

39.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.45 Rp 26.0K

17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.86 Rp 33.3K

28.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

39.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.71 Rp 12.7K

123.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

-3.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.91 Rp 16.3K

13.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.33 Rp 5,840

57.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$1.79 Rp 32.1K

137.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$18.67 Rp 334.5K

0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.27 Rp 40.7K

-22.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

23.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.45 Rp 8,016

202.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$9.91 Rp 177.6K

14.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.57 Rp 10.2K

450.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.38 Rp 6,764

173.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

381.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

31.37%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$24.5K Rp 439.2M

12.90%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$27.6K Rp 495.0M

22.55%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$26.42 Rp 473.3K

367.79%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$4.27 Rp 76.4K

216.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$22.51 Rp 403.2K

-16.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$23.14 Rp 414.5K

167.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$6.33 Rp 113.5K

172.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$3.14 Rp 56.2K

191.08%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$24.08 Rp 431.5K

2817.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$7,714 Rp 138.2M

105.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$15.47 Rp 277.2K

284.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$18.47 Rp 330.9K

89.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$65.7 Rp 1.2M

75.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$73.9 Rp 1.3M

13.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$261 Rp 4.7M

137.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$156 Rp 2.8M

178.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$593 Rp 10.6M

247.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$335 Rp 6.0M

350.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,315 Rp 23.6M

177.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$764 Rp 13.7M

243.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sibolga: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $261 in Sibolga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Sibolga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $196 per month, with Sibolga 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 Sibolga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sibolga is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $901 in Sibolga 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 $261 in Sibolga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $24.08 in Sibolga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $600 in Sibolga versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sibolga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sibolga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sibolga 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 Sibolga 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 Sibolga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.