Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and South Tangerang Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and South Tangerang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $775 in South Tangerang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,146 in South Tangerang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,518 in South Tangerang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 63% more expensive than in South Tangerang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, South Tangerang 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.39 Rp 43.2K

87.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$18.76 Rp 338.7K

143.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.28 Rp 59.2K

167.07%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.96 Rp 35.3K

51.53%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.52 Rp 9,401

32.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.28 Rp 5,088

39.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.70 Rp 48.7K

-6.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$4.42 Rp 79.7K

-15.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

65.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

71.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

131.91%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.63 Rp 29.5K

38.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$6.49 Rp 117.2K

208.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.24 Rp 58.4K

12.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.89 Rp 142.5K

71.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.80 Rp 50.6K

15.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.55 Rp 28.0K

5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.01 Rp 36.3K

15.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.55 Rp 28.1K

33.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.62 Rp 29.2K

-4.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.62 Rp 47.3K

-44.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.90 Rp 16.3K

8.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.45 Rp 8,214

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.49 Rp 45.0K

74.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$21.22 Rp 383.0K

-12.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

-15.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.08 Rp 55.5K

-13.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.21 Rp 3,790

576.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$18.70 Rp 337.5K

-38.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.58 Rp 10.4K

446.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.35 Rp 6,302

194.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.49 Rp 44.9K

457.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.75 Rp 13.6K

78.67%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$25.1K Rp 453.3M

10.68%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$32.6K Rp 588.1M

2.46%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$70.3 Rp 1.3M

75.16%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$6.16 Rp 111.2K

123.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$23.11 Rp 417.1K

-20.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$33.47 Rp 604.3K

81.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$10.17 Rp 183.5K

68.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$2.99 Rp 53.9K

196.66%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$113 Rp 2.0M

511.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$7,714 Rp 139.3M

104.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$41.85 Rp 755.4K

41.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$30.15 Rp 544.2K

15.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$63.2 Rp 1.1M

82.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$64.0 Rp 1.2M

30.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$303 Rp 5.5M

105.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$250 Rp 4.5M

78.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$532 Rp 9.6M

282.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$370 Rp 6.7M

304.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,160 Rp 20.9M

197.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$764 Rp 13.8M

231.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$438 Rp 7.9M

12.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.59

-44.42%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for South Tangerang: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $303 in South Tangerang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 13% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in South Tangerang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $211 per month, with South Tangerang 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 South Tangerang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Tangerang is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $303 in South Tangerang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $113 in South Tangerang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $775 in South Tangerang versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in South Tangerang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes South Tangerang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, South Tangerang 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 South Tangerang 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 South Tangerang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.