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 $678 in Tanjung Pandan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,039 in Tanjung Pandan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $1,400 in Tanjung Pandan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 86% more expensive than in Tanjung Pandan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tanjung Pandan 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

202.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,562

$12.44 Rp 223.1K

272.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$3.40 Rp 61.0K

154.41%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$1.67 Rp 29.9K

85.03%

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

$0.68 ฿22.85

$0.55 Rp 9,928

23.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.41

$0.28 Rp 5,075

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$2.52 Rp 45.2K

-3.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$3.62 Rp 65.0K

5.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.23 Rp 22.0K

77.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.2

$1.13 Rp 20.3K

61.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.3

$0.92 Rp 16.6K

136.96%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.3

$1.53 Rp 27.4K

46.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿671

$8.20 Rp 147.0K

143.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$3.07 Rp 55.1K

18.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$7.68 Rp 137.7K

76.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$2.28 Rp 41.0K

44.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

12.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.6

$1.87 Rp 33.5K

24.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

30.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.33 Rp 23.9K

20.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$1.96 Rp 35.2K

-23.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.11

$0.89 Rp 16.0K

13.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.41 Rp 7,387

17.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$2.45 Rp 44.0K

81.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$20.83 Rp 373.7K

-10.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$2.12 Rp 38.1K

-15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$3.10 Rp 55.7K

-9.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.81

$0.30 Rp 5,323

373.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$10.01 Rp 179.5K

13.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$0.52 Rp 9,401

494.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$0.34 Rp 6,148

205.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$2.86 Rp 51.4K

376.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.15

$0.82 Rp 14.6K

59.76%

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

$27.3K ฿919.1K

$24.2K Rp 433.5M

12.87%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.7K Rp 496.8M

19.93%

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

$123 ฿4,149

$70.0 Rp 1.3M

75.92%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$4.37 Rp 78.4K

216.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$22.52 Rp 403.9K

-17.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

$22.74 Rp 407.8K

165.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

$6.25 Rp 112.1K

168.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$3.11 Rp 55.7K

185.85%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$94.1 Rp 1.7M

629.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿523.9K

$7,609 Rp 136.5M

104.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,942

$42.32 Rp 758.9K

36.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$31.28 Rp 561.0K

10.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,872

$65.8 Rp 1.2M

74.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,860

$73.4 Rp 1.3M

15.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$254 Rp 4.6M

142.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$157 Rp 2.8M

181.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$595 Rp 10.7M

243.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

$337 Rp 6.0M

346.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

$1,323 Rp 23.7M

169.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$674 Rp 12.1M

272.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Tanjung Pandan: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $254 in Tanjung Pandan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Tanjung Pandan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $207 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 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,016 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: $618 in Phuket versus $254 in Tanjung Pandan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $94.1 in Tanjung Pandan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $678 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 86% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.