Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Surabaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Surabaya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $688 in Surabaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,205 in Surabaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,722 in Surabaya.

Living in Phuket is roughly 82% more expensive than in Surabaya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Surabaya 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$1.66 Rp 29.3K

174.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$11.40 Rp 201.0K

186.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$3.24 Rp 57.2K

174.69%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

79.49%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.56 Rp 9,841

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.26 Rp 4,572

88.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.25 Rp 39.6K

6.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$4.37 Rp 77.0K

-15.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.21 Rp 21.4K

47.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.34 Rp 23.7K

7.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.86 Rp 15.2K

83.72%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.21 Rp 21.2K

76.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$7.80 Rp 137.5K

155.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$2.96 Rp 52.2K

15.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$7.87 Rp 138.8K

43.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$2.02 Rp 35.7K

46.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.33 Rp 23.4K

29.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.87 Rp 32.9K

24.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.52 Rp 26.9K

36.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$1.37 Rp 24.2K

7.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$1.93 Rp 34.0K

-29.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.97 Rp 17.2K

13.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.40 Rp 7,050

42.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

117.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$25.35 Rp 447.0K

-27.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.71 Rp 30.1K

9.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.89 Rp 50.9K

1.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.36 Rp 6,271

516.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.47 Rp 8,334

544.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.47 Rp 8,293

127.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$2.70 Rp 47.7K

45.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

86.25%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$24.7K Rp 435.5M

9.82%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$33.1K Rp 583.3M

-17.03%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$88.9 Rp 1.6M

15.61%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$4.83 Rp 85.2K

127.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$19.84 Rp 349.7K

-11.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$18.57 Rp 327.4K

188.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$6.54 Rp 115.3K

71.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$2.65 Rp 46.7K

182.26%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$286 Rp 5.0M

94.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$9,694 Rp 170.9M

22.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$71.2 Rp 1.3M

-10.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$39.47 Rp 695.8K

-26.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

17.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$74.9 Rp 1.3M

20.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$290 Rp 5.1M

152.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$150 Rp 2.6M

234.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,276 Rp 22.5M

63.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$618 Rp 10.9M

95.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,231 Rp 39.3M

61.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,073 Rp 18.9M

134.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$277 Rp 4.9M

81.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.5

-25.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $290 in Surabaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 82% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Surabaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $211 per month, with Surabaya 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 Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surabaya is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 82% 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: $730 in Phuket versus $290 in Surabaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $286 in Surabaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Surabaya – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $688 in Surabaya versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surabaya but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Surabaya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Surabaya 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 Surabaya 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 Surabaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.