Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tanjung Pandan

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanjung Pandan: $617 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Tanjung Pandan
Learn more

Tanjung Pandan Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Tanjung Pandan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$617

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tanjung Pandan

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 Pandan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $617 in Tanjung Pandan.

Phuket $1,278
Tanjung Pandan $617

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,000 in Tanjung Pandan.

Phuket $2,216
Tanjung Pandan $1,000

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,383 in Tanjung Pandan.

Phuket $3,154
Tanjung Pandan $1,383

Living in Phuket is roughly 107% more expensive than in Tanjung Pandan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.59 Rp 28.9K

181.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$15.06 Rp 273.3K

115.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.59 Rp 65.2K

145.40%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.50 Rp 27.3K

88.67%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.42 Rp 7,687

107.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.22 Rp 3,943

122.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

25.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.33 Rp 60.4K

10.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.06 Rp 19.2K

56.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.00 Rp 18.1K

46.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.94 Rp 17.1K

59.57%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

67.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$6.37 Rp 115.5K

199.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.26 Rp 59.2K

1.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$8.49 Rp 154.1K

28.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.93 Rp 35.0K

51.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

49.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.76 Rp 31.9K

27.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.24 Rp 22.5K

67.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.08 Rp 19.7K

39.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.90 Rp 34.5K

-27.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.78 Rp 14.1K

37.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.40 Rp 7,297

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.51 Rp 45.6K

67.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$23.14 Rp 419.9K

-18.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.82 Rp 33.0K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$3.38 Rp 61.3K

-15.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.25 Rp 4,557

480.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$10.41 Rp 188.8K

444.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.47 Rp 8,524

542.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.36 Rp 6,501

183.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.47 Rp 44.9K

49.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.88 Rp 16.1K

67.05%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$20.2K Rp 366.3M

32.63%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$30.6K Rp 555.6M

-12.83%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$60.5 Rp 1.1M

59.20%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$4.22 Rp 76.5K

166.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$20.00 Rp 362.9K

-15.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$19.60 Rp 355.7K

243.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$8.42 Rp 152.8K

27.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.08 Rp 55.9K

143.51%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$88.3 Rp 1.6M

439.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$7,394 Rp 134.2M

52.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$40.55 Rp 735.7K

53.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$27.32 Rp 495.8K

3.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$81.0 Rp 1.5M

16.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$60.3 Rp 1.1M

42.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$204 Rp 3.7M

251.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$141 Rp 2.6M

248.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$533 Rp 9.7M

261.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$379 Rp 6.9M

277.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,263 Rp 22.9M

230.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$883 Rp 16.0M

244.91%

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 Pandan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Tanjung Pandan

$141 22.9% 71.3% $350

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Tanjung Pandan

$197 31.9% 26% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Tanjung Pandan

$85 13.7% 31.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Tanjung Pandan

$94 15.3% 22.8% $28

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Tanjung Pandan

$61 9.9% 49.9% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Tanjung Pandan

$26 4.2% 68.7% $56

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Tanjung Pandan

$14 2.2% 80.6% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $204 in Tanjung Pandan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $15 in Tanjung Pandan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $197 per month, with Tanjung Pandan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 Tanjung Pandan

🕒 Local time

19:58 7:58 PM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

103,062

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Tanjung Pandan 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Tanjung Pandan

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 Pandan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tanjung Pandan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $926 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: $716 in Phuket versus $204 in Tanjung Pandan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $88 in Tanjung Pandan. 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 $617 in Tanjung Pandan versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

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 Pandan 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.