Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Surakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $589 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Surakarta
Learn more

Surakarta Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Surakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Surakarta

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 Surakarta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $589 in Surakarta.

Phuket $1,278
Surakarta $589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $933 in Surakarta.

Phuket $2,216
Surakarta $933

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,278 in Surakarta.

Phuket $3,154
Surakarta $1,278

Living in Phuket is roughly 117% more expensive than in Surakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Surakarta 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

162.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$11.39 Rp 206.4K

184.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.06 Rp 55.4K

187.91%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

82.58%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.53 Rp 9,655

64.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.23 Rp 4,143

113.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

82.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.78 Rp 50.4K

32.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

93.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.74 Rp 13.4K

97.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

100.00%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

109.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.78 Rp 141.0K

145.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.62 Rp 29.4K

103.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$5.32 Rp 96.4K

105.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

48.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.30 Rp 23.6K

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.80 Rp 32.5K

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.41 Rp 25.5K

47.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.36 Rp 24.7K

11.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.64 Rp 29.7K

-15.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.53 Rp 9,559

101.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.43 Rp 7,776

20.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.93 Rp 34.9K

117.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.23 Rp 149.2K

128.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.61 Rp 29.2K

13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.97 Rp 53.7K

-4.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.41 Rp 7,394

253.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$11.35 Rp 205.6K

399.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.47 Rp 8,480

542.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.43 Rp 7,739

137.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.58 Rp 46.8K

43.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.78 Rp 14.1K

88.46%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$25.0K Rp 453.6M

6.97%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$32.9K Rp 596.2M

-18.88%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

24.00%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$2.06 Rp 37.2K

446.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$18.73 Rp 339.3K

-10.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$16.13 Rp 292.3K

316.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$8.31 Rp 150.6K

29.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

298.94%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$33.22 Rp 601.9K

1332.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$1,841 Rp 33.4M

511.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$58.8 Rp 1.1M

6.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$36.70 Rp 665.0K

-22.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$68.2 Rp 1.2M

38.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$65.7 Rp 1.2M

30.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$223 Rp 4.0M

221.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$147 Rp 2.7M

233.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$559 Rp 10.1M

244.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$367 Rp 6.7M

289.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,102 Rp 20.0M

278.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$712 Rp 12.9M

327.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$155 Rp 2.8M

224.30%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Surakarta: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Surakarta

$147 25% 70% $344

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Surakarta

$147 25% 44.6% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Surakarta

$98 16.7% 20.9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Surakarta

$103 17.5% 15.3% $19

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Surakarta

$57 9.7% 53.1% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Surakarta

$20 3.4% 75.8% $62

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Surakarta

$16 2.7% 77.9% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $223 in Surakarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 3.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $11 in Surakarta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $147 per month, with Surakarta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 Surakarta

🕒 Local time

00:51 12:51 AM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

503,421

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Surakarta 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Surakarta

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 Surakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surakarta is about 54% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Phuket is about 3.2 times higher, 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 $223 in Surakarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $33 in Surakarta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $589 in Surakarta versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

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 Surakarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.