Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and South Tangerang

For one person, living is cheaper in South Tangerang: $654 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in South Tangerang
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South Tangerang Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

South Tangerang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$654

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in South Tangerang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in South Tangerang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $654 in South Tangerang.

Phuket $1,278
South Tangerang $654

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $997 in South Tangerang.

Phuket $2,216
South Tangerang $997

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,341 in South Tangerang.

Phuket $3,154
South Tangerang $1,341

Living in Phuket is roughly 95% more expensive than in South Tangerang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, South Tangerang 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.69 Rp 30.6K

164.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$13.56 Rp 246.0K

139.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.38 Rp 61.4K

160.65%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.53 Rp 27.7K

84.97%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.45 Rp 8,144

93.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.24 Rp 4,379

104.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.53 Rp 45.9K

1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.10 Rp 56.3K

18.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.17 Rp 21.2K

41.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.02 Rp 18.5K

43.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

68.54%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.72 Rp 31.2K

21.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$6.98 Rp 126.6K

173.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.99 Rp 54.3K

10.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$8.00 Rp 145.1K

36.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.75 Rp 49.8K

6.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.19 Rp 21.7K

42.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.93 Rp 35.0K

16.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

73.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.37 Rp 24.9K

10.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$2.03 Rp 36.8K

-32.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

25.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.47 Rp 8,476

10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.62 Rp 47.6K

60.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$21.04 Rp 381.7K

-10.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.88 Rp 34.2K

-3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$3.10 Rp 56.2K

-8.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.20 Rp 3,643

625.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$16.31 Rp 295.8K

247.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.53 Rp 9,671

469.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.32 Rp 5,781

218.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.20 Rp 39.8K

67.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.91 Rp 16.5K

61.54%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$22.1K Rp 400.1M

21.39%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$32.3K Rp 586.7M

-17.48%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$52.5 Rp 952.6K

83.45%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$6.19 Rp 112.2K

81.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$19.22 Rp 348.6K

-12.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$25.57 Rp 463.9K

162.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$9.08 Rp 164.6K

18.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

175.74%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$116 Rp 2.1M

310.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$8,091 Rp 146.8M

39.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$38.89 Rp 705.3K

60.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$28.19 Rp 511.2K

0.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$71.0 Rp 1.3M

32.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

21.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$208 Rp 3.8M

243.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$166 Rp 3.0M

195.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$373 Rp 6.8M

416.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$307 Rp 5.6M

366.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,143 Rp 20.7M

265.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$927 Rp 16.8M

228.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$437 Rp 7.9M

14.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.46

-41.12%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for South Tangerang: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

South Tangerang

$166 25.4% 66.1% $325

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

South Tangerang

$202 30.8% 24.2% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

South Tangerang

$78 11.9% 37.4% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

South Tangerang

$94 14.4% 23% $28

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

South Tangerang

$64 9.7% 47.7% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

South Tangerang

$31 4.8% 62.3% $51

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

South Tangerang

$19 2.9% 72.7% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $208 in South Tangerang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 15% 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 in Phuket vs $14 in South Tangerang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $202 per month, with South Tangerang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 South Tangerang

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,290,322

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket South Tangerang 1,830 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
South Tangerang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 49% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $208 in South Tangerang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $116 in South Tangerang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $654 in South Tangerang versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find South Tangerang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.