Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tanjung Balai Karimun Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tanjung Balai Karimun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $669 in Tanjung Balai Karimun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,036 in Tanjung Balai Karimun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,403 in Tanjung Balai Karimun.

Living in Phuket is roughly 90% more expensive than Tanjung Balai Karimun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Tanjung Balai Karimun 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$1.50 Rp 25.8K

210.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$12.18 Rp 209.4K

281.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$3.29 Rp 56.5K

163.83%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$1.65 Rp 28.3K

78.79%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.55 Rp 9,493

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.26 Rp 4,418

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.50 Rp 43.0K

1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.46 Rp 59.5K

9.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.21 Rp 20.8K

83.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.17 Rp 20.1K

53.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$0.89 Rp 15.3K

146.07%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$1.58 Rp 27.1K

46.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$8.01 Rp 137.6K

141.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$3.11 Rp 53.4K

21.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$8.04 Rp 138.2K

64.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.39 Rp 41.2K

39.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.45 Rp 24.9K

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.80 Rp 31.0K

27.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.56 Rp 26.7K

27.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.33 Rp 22.9K

15.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

-20.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.89 Rp 15.3K

15.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.41 Rp 7,066

24.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.44 Rp 41.9K

80.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$21.01 Rp 361.0K

-7.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$2.09 Rp 35.9K

-13.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$3.09 Rp 53.0K

-13.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.32 Rp 5,571

346.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$9.89 Rp 170.0K

18.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$0.57 Rp 9,830

433.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.35 Rp 5,965

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$2.95 Rp 50.8K

363.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$0.84 Rp 14.4K

54.76%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$25.0K Rp 429.2M

11.71%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$27.8K Rp 477.7M

18.86%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

77.39%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$4.28 Rp 73.6K

222.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$22.48 Rp 386.4K

-16.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$22.84 Rp 392.5K

167.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$6.18 Rp 106.3K

172.01%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$3.08 Rp 53.0K

187.99%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$91.8 Rp 1.6M

658.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$7,594 Rp 130.5M

111.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$41.60 Rp 714.9K

42.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$30.71 Rp 527.7K

13.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$67.6 Rp 1.2M

67.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

13.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$262 Rp 4.5M

134.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$160 Rp 2.8M

179.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$579 Rp 10.0M

260.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$333 Rp 5.7M

349.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,383 Rp 23.8M

170.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$878 Rp 15.1M

203.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.15

-41.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Tanjung Balai Karimun: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $262 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $12 in Tanjung Balai Karimun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $208 per month, with Tanjung Balai Karimun 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 Tanjung Balai Karimun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tanjung Balai Karimun is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $1,004 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: $615 in Phuket versus $262 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $91.8 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 40% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $669 in Tanjung Balai Karimun versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,500 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.

For families, Tanjung Balai Karimun 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 Tanjung Balai Karimun 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 Tanjung Balai Karimun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.