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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $624 in Tanjung Balai Karimun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $999 in Tanjung Balai Karimun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,374 in Tanjung Balai Karimun.

Living in Phuket is roughly 103% more expensive than in Tanjung Balai Karimun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tanjung Balai Karimun 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$1.73 Rp 30.5K

169.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,059

$14.13 Rp 248.9K

128.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿285

$3.28 Rp 57.8K

164.63%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.3

$1.57 Rp 27.6K

84.71%

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

$0.84 ฿27.75

$0.42 Rp 7,409

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.23 Rp 4,045

113.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.6

$2.22 Rp 39.1K

11.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.54 Rp 62.3K

5.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.0

$1.18 Rp 20.8K

60.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.31

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

31.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.3

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

86.21%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.7

$1.50 Rp 26.5K

49.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿652

$7.57 Rp 133.4K

162.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$2.97 Rp 52.3K

17.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿374

$7.60 Rp 133.9K

49.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.3

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

27.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.7

$1.33 Rp 23.5K

29.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.7

$1.76 Rp 31.1K

28.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.1

$1.30 Rp 22.8K

63.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.49

$1.31 Rp 23.1K

12.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.69

$1.95 Rp 34.4K

-27.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.08

$0.78 Rp 13.7K

41.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.66

$0.40 Rp 7,057

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.67 Rp 47.0K

61.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿612

$20.84 Rp 367.1K

-10.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.2

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.5

$2.93 Rp 51.6K

1.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.8

$0.29 Rp 5,134

675.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿772

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.52 Rp 9,177

496.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.39

$0.32 Rp 5,721

237.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$2.88 Rp 50.7K

34.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.93

$0.75 Rp 13.1K

90.67%

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

$27.8K ฿913.6K

$23.1K Rp 407.7M

20.03%

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

$27.0K ฿887.2K

$31.0K Rp 546.2M

-12.99%

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

$105 ฿3,446

$67.5 Rp 1.2M

55.35%

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

$11.39 ฿375

$4.31 Rp 75.9K

164.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿577

$19.31 Rp 340.0K

-9.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,787

$19.93 Rp 351.0K

172.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿376

$8.31 Rp 146.4K

37.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿256

$2.88 Rp 50.6K

170.14%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$97.2 Rp 1.7M

493.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿380.8K

$7,963 Rp 140.3M

45.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,092

$43.40 Rp 764.4K

46.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿957

$30.32 Rp 534.0K

-4.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,164

$72.7 Rp 1.3M

32.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,960

$72.4 Rp 1.3M

24.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$225 Rp 4.0M

225.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$158 Rp 2.8M

216.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿69.9K

$563 Rp 9.9M

277.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.2K

$361 Rp 6.4M

247.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.2K

$1,182 Rp 20.8M

198.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.2K

$662 Rp 11.7M

296.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tanjung Balai Karimun: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $225 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Tanjung Balai Karimun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $198 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, Getting Around. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $936 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: $733 in Phuket versus $225 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $97.2 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tanjung Balai Karimun – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $624 in Tanjung Balai Karimun versus $1,265 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 103% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.