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 $620 in Sibolga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $972 in Sibolga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $1,324 in Sibolga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 103% more expensive than in Sibolga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sibolga 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$1.32 Rp 23.5K

235.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$11.56 Rp 205.5K

203.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$3.45 Rp 61.2K

159.71%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.35 Rp 24.1K

122.22%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$0.39 Rp 6,847

97.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.25 Rp 4,472

88.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

3.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$3.63 Rp 64.4K

3.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.29 Rp 23.0K

41.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$1.12 Rp 19.9K

26.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

91.36%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.55 Rp 27.5K

37.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$8.04 Rp 142.9K

145.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$2.56 Rp 45.5K

35.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$8.97 Rp 159.4K

23.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$2.28 Rp 40.6K

27.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.12 Rp 19.8K

48.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.72 Rp 30.5K

31.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.32 Rp 23.4K

59.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$1.44 Rp 25.6K

2.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$1.81 Rp 32.2K

-22.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

21.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.40 Rp 7,140

35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$2.81 Rp 50.0K

59.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$17.98 Rp 319.7K

4.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.75 Rp 31.1K

5.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$2.89 Rp 51.3K

2.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.31 Rp 5,476

629.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$0.45 Rp 8,086

575.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.33 Rp 5,830

230.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$2.83 Rp 50.3K

34.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$0.67 Rp 11.9K

122.39%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$25.5K Rp 452.6M

7.76%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$35.3K Rp 626.7M

-21.97%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$65.5 Rp 1.2M

55.41%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$4.97 Rp 88.4K

126.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$21.79 Rp 387.3K

-18.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$17.91 Rp 318.3K

202.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$8.44 Rp 150.1K

29.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$3.14 Rp 55.9K

150.00%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$82.6 Rp 1.5M

598.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$7,811 Rp 138.8M

48.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$36.73 Rp 652.8K

77.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$27.90 Rp 495.9K

3.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$62.6 Rp 1.1M

58.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$61.3 Rp 1.1M

47.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$209 Rp 3.7M

260.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$145 Rp 2.6M

235.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$508 Rp 9.0M

310.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$326 Rp 5.8M

270.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$1,236 Rp 22.0M

190.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$619 Rp 11.0M

321.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.67

-42.40%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Sibolga: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $209 in Sibolga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Sibolga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 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, Getting Around. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $930 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: $756 in Phuket versus $209 in Sibolga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $82.6 in Sibolga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sibolga – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $35.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $620 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 103% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.