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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $708 in Surabaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,133 in Surabaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,557 in Surabaya.

Living in Phuket is roughly 79% more expensive than Surabaya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Surabaya 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

209.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$12.12 Rp 218.6K

274.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.13 Rp 56.4K

169.33%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.82 Rp 32.7K

60.99%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.60 Rp 10.8K

15.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.26 Rp 4,648

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.41 Rp 43.5K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.02 Rp 72.4K

-7.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.38 Rp 25.0K

61.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.46 Rp 26.3K

25.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.93 Rp 16.8K

133.33%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.44 Rp 26.0K

53.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.04 Rp 163.1K

118.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.29 Rp 59.4K

10.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.45 Rp 152.5K

60.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.42 Rp 43.6K

35.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.54 Rp 27.8K

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.19 Rp 39.6K

10.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.42 Rp 25.7K

46.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.80 Rp 32.4K

-17.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

-16.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.42 Rp 7,603

21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.54 Rp 45.8K

73.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$24.78 Rp 446.9K

-21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.77 Rp 31.8K

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.14 Rp 56.7K

-13.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.48 Rp 8,572

185.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$9.40 Rp 169.6K

21.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.44 Rp 7,997

586.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.29 Rp 5,216

241.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.77 Rp 50.0K

409.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

61.90%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$20.6K Rp 372.2M

36.66%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.8K Rp 645.7M

-8.10%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$84.9 Rp 1.5M

43.41%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$4.09 Rp 73.7K

231.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$19.75 Rp 356.2K

-7.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$21.59 Rp 389.4K

178.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.57 Rp 82.4K

275.05%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

204.91%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$188 Rp 3.4M

269.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$9,556 Rp 172.3M

64.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$61.6 Rp 1.1M

-3.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$38.56 Rp 695.3K

-9.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$77.8 Rp 1.4M

47.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

-0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$242 Rp 4.4M

153.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$135 Rp 2.4M

222.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$762 Rp 13.7M

174.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$393 Rp 7.1M

283.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,209 Rp 39.8M

69.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,067 Rp 19.2M

145.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$276 Rp 5.0M

84.43%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $242 in Surabaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 84% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Surabaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $226 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 84% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $242 in Surabaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $188 in Surabaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $708 in Surabaya versus $1,265 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 79% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.