Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tanjung Pandan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tanjung Pandan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $655 in Tanjung Pandan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,022 in Tanjung Pandan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,388 in Tanjung Pandan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 93% more expensive than Tanjung Pandan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tanjung Pandan 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$1.50 Rp 27.2K

204.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$12.48 Rp 226.3K

273.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$3.33 Rp 60.5K

154.35%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$1.65 Rp 29.8K

83.64%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$0.54 Rp 9,842

27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.26 Rp 4,707

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$2.48 Rp 44.9K

0.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$3.49 Rp 63.2K

4.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.21 Rp 22.0K

80.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$1.12 Rp 20.3K

69.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$0.93 Rp 16.9K

136.56%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$1.59 Rp 28.9K

39.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$8.35 Rp 151.5K

139.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$3.14 Rp 56.9K

16.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$7.75 Rp 140.6K

70.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.38 Rp 43.1K

35.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.43 Rp 26.0K

18.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$1.89 Rp 34.3K

26.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.50 Rp 27.2K

38.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$1.37 Rp 24.9K

16.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$1.87 Rp 34.0K

-20.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$0.90 Rp 16.4K

14.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.44 Rp 8,015

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$2.53 Rp 45.8K

67.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$20.05 Rp 363.6K

-6.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$2.09 Rp 38.0K

-15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$3.10 Rp 56.3K

-10.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.32 Rp 5,880

325.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

$9.56 Rp 173.5K

18.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$0.54 Rp 9,760

481.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.35 Rp 6,315

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$3.00 Rp 54.4K

359.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$0.78 Rp 14.1K

71.79%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$24.3K Rp 440.1M

14.07%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$27.7K Rp 503.2M

22.06%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

75.03%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

216.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$22.73 Rp 412.2K

-17.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$23.21 Rp 420.9K

166.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

$6.11 Rp 110.8K

182.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$3.15 Rp 57.2K

190.16%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$93.5 Rp 1.7M

651.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$7,607 Rp 138.0M

108.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$42.50 Rp 770.8K

39.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$31.15 Rp 565.0K

12.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$65.7 Rp 1.2M

75.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$75.3 Rp 1.4M

11.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$258 Rp 4.7M

139.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$155 Rp 2.8M

178.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$596 Rp 10.8M

246.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$338 Rp 6.1M

346.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$1,049 Rp 19.0M

247.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$645 Rp 11.7M

307.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tanjung Pandan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $258 in Tanjung Pandan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Tanjung Pandan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $206 per month, with Tanjung Pandan 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 Pandan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tanjung Pandan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $982 in Tanjung Pandan 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: $619 in Phuket versus $258 in Tanjung Pandan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $93.5 in Tanjung Pandan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $655 in Tanjung Pandan versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tanjung Pandan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tanjung Pandan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tanjung Pandan 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 Pandan 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 Pandan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.