Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tanjung Balai Karimun

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanjung Balai Karimun: $610 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Tanjung Balai Karimun
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Tanjung Balai Karimun Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Tanjung Balai Karimun

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tanjung Balai Karimun

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 Tanjung Balai Karimun actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $610 in Tanjung Balai Karimun.

Phuket $1,278
Tanjung Balai Karimun $610

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,014 in Tanjung Balai Karimun.

Phuket $2,216
Tanjung Balai Karimun $1,014

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,417 in Tanjung Balai Karimun.

Phuket $3,154
Tanjung Balai Karimun $1,417

Living in Phuket is roughly 109% more expensive than in Tanjung Balai Karimun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tanjung Balai Karimun 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.60 Rp 29.1K

179.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$13.72 Rp 248.9K

136.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.27 Rp 59.4K

169.42%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.46 Rp 26.4K

93.84%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.46 Rp 8,278

89.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.24 Rp 4,375

104.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.16 Rp 39.2K

18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.63 Rp 65.9K

1.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.03 Rp 18.7K

61.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.09 Rp 19.8K

33.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.73 Rp 13.3K

105.48%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.62 Rp 29.4K

29.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.40 Rp 134.4K

157.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.90 Rp 52.6K

13.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$8.49 Rp 154.0K

28.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.36 Rp 42.7K

24.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

40.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.47 Rp 26.7K

53.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.29 Rp 23.4K

61.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.08 Rp 19.6K

39.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$2.03 Rp 36.8K

-32.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.78 Rp 14.1K

37.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.42 Rp 7,680

23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.58 Rp 46.9K

62.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$20.80 Rp 377.4K

-9.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.77 Rp 32.0K

2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$3.32 Rp 60.2K

-14.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.22 Rp 3,998

559.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$9.92 Rp 180.1K

471.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.49 Rp 8,942

516.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.35 Rp 6,365

191.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.91 Rp 52.9K

26.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

104.17%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$25.6K Rp 464.2M

4.66%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$34.6K Rp 627.6M

-22.83%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$68.4 Rp 1.2M

40.90%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$4.25 Rp 77.2K

164.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$20.80 Rp 377.4K

-18.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$18.27 Rp 331.5K

267.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$8.18 Rp 148.5K

31.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.96 Rp 53.7K

153.38%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$90.4 Rp 1.6M

426.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$7,256 Rp 131.7M

55.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$46.89 Rp 850.8K

32.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$31.72 Rp 575.5K

-10.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$70.4 Rp 1.3M

34.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$60.6 Rp 1.1M

41.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$196 Rp 3.5M

266.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$128 Rp 2.3M

284.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$529 Rp 9.6M

264.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$411 Rp 7.5M

248.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,280 Rp 23.2M

226.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$742 Rp 13.5M

310.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.46

-41.12%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tanjung Balai Karimun: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Tanjung Balai Karimun

$128 20.9% 74% $363

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Tanjung Balai Karimun

$197 32.2% 26.1% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Tanjung Balai Karimun

$93 15.3% 24.9% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Tanjung Balai Karimun

$94 15.5% 22.6% $28

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Tanjung Balai Karimun

$61 10% 49.9% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Tanjung Balai Karimun

$24 4% 70.6% $58

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Tanjung Balai Karimun

$13 2.1% 81.5% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $196 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $14 in Tanjung Balai Karimun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $197 per month, with Tanjung Balai Karimun cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 Tanjung Balai Karimun

🕒 Local time

19:59 7:59 PM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

48,953

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 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 October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.71 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,281 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Tanjung Balai Karimun 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Tanjung Balai Karimun

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 Tanjung Balai Karimun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tanjung Balai Karimun is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 109% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $915 in Tanjung Balai Karimun to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $196 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $90 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $610 in Tanjung Balai Karimun versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tanjung Balai Karimun but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tanjung Balai Karimun 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 Tanjung Balai Karimun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.