Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tangerang Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tangerang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $788 in Tangerang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,285 in Tangerang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,783 in Tangerang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than Tangerang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tangerang 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$1.53 Rp 27.3K

207.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$18.64 Rp 332.9K

143.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.44 Rp 61.4K

145.06%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.71 Rp 30.5K

71.35%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.56 Rp 9,957

23.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.28 Rp 5,047

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

-11.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.62 Rp 64.7K

2.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.23 Rp 21.9K

81.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.10 Rp 19.6K

66.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

149.43%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.52 Rp 27.1K

45.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.36 Rp 167.1K

110.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.24 Rp 57.9K

12.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.90 Rp 141.1K

71.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.76 Rp 49.2K

18.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.49 Rp 26.5K

8.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

9.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

39.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.47 Rp 26.3K

4.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.61 Rp 46.6K

-43.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

-1.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.46 Rp 8,203

10.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.72 Rp 48.5K

62.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$21.08 Rp 376.4K

-8.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.22 Rp 39.7K

-19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.22 Rp 57.5K

-15.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.30 Rp 5,298

356.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$8.13 Rp 145.2K

40.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.57 Rp 10.1K

429.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.46 Rp 8,234

115.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.59 Rp 46.2K

444.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

70.00%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$30.7K Rp 548.5M

-8.18%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.6K Rp 492.0M

19.41%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$91.9 Rp 1.6M

32.40%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$4.70 Rp 84.0K

188.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$22.59 Rp 403.3K

-18.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$19.73 Rp 352.3K

205.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$11.60 Rp 207.2K

47.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.09 Rp 55.2K

181.23%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$104 Rp 1.9M

567.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$8,016 Rp 143.2M

95.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$41.36 Rp 738.7K

43.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$30.67 Rp 547.8K

13.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$70.4 Rp 1.3M

62.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

6.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$497 Rp 8.9M

23.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$250 Rp 4.5M

74.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,061 Rp 18.9M

97.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$642 Rp 11.5M

135.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,320 Rp 23.6M

184.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$514 Rp 9.2M

408.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$280 Rp 5.0M

81.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.59

-44.42%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tangerang: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $497 in Tangerang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 81% 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 $19.00 in Tangerang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $219 per month, with Tangerang 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 Tangerang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tangerang is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 81% 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 $497 in Tangerang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $104 in Tangerang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $788 in Tangerang versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tangerang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tangerang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tangerang 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 Tangerang 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 Tangerang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.