😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $654 in Sidoarjo.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $995 in Sidoarjo.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,336 in Sidoarjo.
😐Living in Phuket is roughly 93% more expensive than Sidoarjo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket6% lower, Sidoarjo51% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Sidoarjo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.56฿150
$1.56Rp 28.2K
192.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.63฿1,535
$12.08Rp 219.0K
286.01%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.47฿279
$3.05Rp 55.3K
177.70%
Cappuccino
$3.03฿99.7
$0.63Rp 11.4K
380.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69฿22.69
$0.51Rp 9,182
35.29%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿12.04
$0.28Rp 5,108
32.14%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.49฿81.9
$2.47Rp 44.9K
0.81%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66฿120
$3.91Rp 70.8K
-6.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Sidoarjo
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.18฿71.8
$1.43Rp 26.0K
52.45%
White Bread(500g)
$1.90฿62.6
$1.13Rp 20.5K
68.14%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.20฿72.4
$0.93Rp 16.8K
136.56%
Eggs
$2.22฿73.2
$1.49Rp 27.1K
48.99%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.99฿658
$9.47Rp 171.7K
111.09%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.66฿121
$2.63Rp 47.7K
39.16%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.25฿436
$5.99Rp 108.7K
121.20%
Apples(1kg)
$3.23฿106
$0.96Rp 17.4K
236.46%
Banana(1kg)
$1.70฿55.9
$0.58Rp 10.6K
193.10%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.39฿78.8
$0.77Rp 14.0K
210.39%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.08฿68.4
$0.64Rp 11.5K
225.00%
Potato(1kg)
$1.59฿52.4
$0.82Rp 14.9K
93.90%
Onion(1kg)
$1.48฿48.83
$1.14Rp 20.7K
29.82%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.03฿33.90
$0.32Rp 5,822
221.88%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52฿17.01
$0.43Rp 7,725
20.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.25฿140
$2.17Rp 39.3K
95.85%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.79฿618
$24.30Rp 440.7K
-22.67%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76฿57.8
$1.80Rp 32.6K
-2.22%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76฿90.8
$3.15Rp 57.0K
-12.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Sidoarjo
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.36฿44.79
$0.30Rp 5,370
353.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.36฿374
$10.01Rp 181.6K
13.49%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.14฿103
$0.44Rp 8,000
613.64%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.04฿34.10
$0.31Rp 5,652
235.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$13.77฿453
$1.21Rp 22.0K
1038.02%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.34฿44.26
$0.83Rp 15.0K
61.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K฿911.1K
$21.0KRp 381.1M
31.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K฿1.1M
$34.6KRp 627.7M
-2.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Sidoarjo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$124฿4,069
$83.6Rp 1.5M
47.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.52฿445
$4.17Rp 75.7K
224.22%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.69฿615
$12.45Rp 225.8K
50.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Sidoarjo
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.8฿2,035
$23.42Rp 424.8K
163.96%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.25฿568
$6.00Rp 108.9K
187.50%
Cinema Ticket
$9.14฿301
$2.88Rp 52.3K
217.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Sidoarjo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$703฿23.1K
$192Rp 3.5M
266.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.9K฿522.5K
$9,550Rp 173.2M
66.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Sidoarjo
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.5฿1,958
$61.9Rp 1.1M
-3.93%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.07฿1,154
$38.38Rp 696.0K
-8.62%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115฿3,795
$77.3Rp 1.4M
49.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.1฿2,767
$83.2Rp 1.5M
1.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Sidoarjo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$619฿20.4K
$256Rp 4.6M
142.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$433฿14.2K
$160Rp 2.9M
170.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,062฿67.9K
$591Rp 10.7M
248.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,511฿49.7K
$330Rp 6.0M
357.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,646฿120.0K
$1,187Rp 21.5M
207.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,626฿86.4K
$728Rp 13.2M
260.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Sidoarjo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$507฿16.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
8.33
-36.01%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026
Last update for Sidoarjo: June 6, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $256 in Sidoarjo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Sidoarjo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $184 per month, with Sidoarjo 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 Sidoarjo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sidoarjo cheaper than Phuket?
Sidoarjo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $981 in Sidoarjo 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Sidoarjo?
Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $256 in Sidoarjo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $192 in Sidoarjo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and Sidoarjo?
Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or Sidoarjo?
At $654 in Sidoarjo versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sidoarjo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sidoarjo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Sidoarjo more family-friendly?
For families, Sidoarjo 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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Sidoarjo?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Sidoarjo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Sidoarjo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.