Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Surakarta Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Surakarta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $638 in Surakarta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,005 in Surakarta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,372 in Surakarta.

Living in Phuket is roughly 92% more expensive than in Surakarta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Surakarta 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$1.51 Rp 27.0K

198.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$12.13 Rp 216.1K

284.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$3.09 Rp 55.0K

174.76%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$1.66 Rp 29.6K

85.54%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$0.56 Rp 10.0K

21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.25 Rp 4,438

44.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$1.86 Rp 33.1K

30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.85 Rp 50.8K

27.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.17 Rp 20.8K

87.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$0.85 Rp 15.1K

112.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

193.42%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$1.31 Rp 23.3K

70.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$9.21 Rp 164.1K

112.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.94 Rp 52.3K

26.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$7.40 Rp 131.8K

82.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$2.39 Rp 42.6K

40.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.49 Rp 26.5K

8.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

11.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.37 Rp 24.4K

45.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$1.37 Rp 24.4K

11.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$1.72 Rp 30.6K

-15.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$0.63 Rp 11.3K

60.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.42 Rp 7,509

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.19 Rp 39.1K

94.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$8.25 Rp 147.1K

131.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$1.85 Rp 33.0K

-0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$3.32 Rp 59.1K

-17.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.41 Rp 7,310

246.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$9.86 Rp 175.8K

18.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$0.45 Rp 7,952

566.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$0.29 Rp 5,097

262.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$2.79 Rp 49.7K

398.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$0.84 Rp 14.9K

53.57%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$21.1K Rp 375.4M

33.10%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$35.5K Rp 632.3M

-5.58%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$81.7 Rp 1.5M

49.38%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$2.21 Rp 39.4K

530.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$19.36 Rp 345.1K

-2.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$20.36 Rp 362.9K

200.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$6.02 Rp 107.3K

179.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$2.16 Rp 38.6K

311.57%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$37.25 Rp 663.9K

1756.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$2,034 Rp 36.2M

694.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$62.1 Rp 1.1M

-6.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$38.93 Rp 693.8K

-9.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

45.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$73.0 Rp 1.3M

13.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$257 Rp 4.6M

135.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$156 Rp 2.8M

186.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$591 Rp 10.5M

243.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$328 Rp 5.9M

354.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$156 Rp 2.8M

222.89%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Surakarta: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $257 in Surakarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 223% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Surakarta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $177 per month, with Surakarta 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 Surakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surakarta is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 223% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $257 in Surakarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $37.25 in Surakarta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $638 in Surakarta versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surakarta but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Surakarta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Surakarta 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 Surakarta 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 Surakarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.