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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $527 in Surakarta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $849 in Surakarta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,172 in Surakarta.

Living in Phuket is roughly 134% more expensive than in Surakarta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Surakarta 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.66 Rp 29.3K

165.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$11.67 Rp 206.6K

176.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$3.14 Rp 55.7K

184.39%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

82.39%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.49 Rp 8,756

79.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.23 Rp 4,051

108.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.43 Rp 25.3K

64.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.90 Rp 51.4K

28.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.91 Rp 16.1K

105.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.75 Rp 13.3K

96.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.77 Rp 13.7K

101.30%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.01 Rp 17.9K

107.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$8.02 Rp 142.0K

144.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$1.75 Rp 30.9K

95.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$5.35 Rp 94.8K

112.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.11 Rp 37.4K

41.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.27 Rp 22.5K

32.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.94 Rp 34.4K

13.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.46 Rp 25.8K

47.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

10.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.67 Rp 29.6K

-19.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.58 Rp 10.3K

94.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.41 Rp 7,247

34.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.00 Rp 35.4K

113.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.57 Rp 151.7K

122.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.74 Rp 30.8K

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.92 Rp 51.6K

-4.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.39 Rp 6,862

471.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$22.73 Rp 402.5K

0.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.51 Rp 9,109

494.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.47 Rp 8,269

117.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$2.70 Rp 47.8K

44.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.73 Rp 12.9K

104.11%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$25.4K Rp 450.5M

4.48%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$33.5K Rp 592.7M

-19.25%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$81.3 Rp 1.4M

26.09%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$2.06 Rp 36.4K

450.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$18.91 Rp 334.8K

-7.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$16.12 Rp 285.5K

223.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$8.56 Rp 151.6K

29.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$2.00 Rp 35.5K

284.50%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$33.61 Rp 595.2K

1568.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$1,873 Rp 33.2M

514.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$59.2 Rp 1.0M

6.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$36.91 Rp 653.5K

-20.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$71.7 Rp 1.3M

36.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$67.3 Rp 1.2M

31.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$167 Rp 3.0M

341.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$57.0 Rp 1.0M

746.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$341 Rp 6.0M

518.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$197 Rp 3.5M

522.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$163 Rp 2.9M

202.99%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Surakarta: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $167 in Surakarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 203% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Surakarta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $152 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, Getting Around. The 134% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 203% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $167 in Surakarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $33.61 in Surakarta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $527 in Surakarta versus $1,232 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 134% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.