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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $675 in Tanjung Pandan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,028 in Tanjung Pandan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,380 in Tanjung Pandan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 88% more expensive than Tanjung Pandan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$1.55 Rp 26.7K

200.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$12.38 Rp 212.7K

275.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$3.34 Rp 57.5K

159.88%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$1.71 Rp 29.4K

72.51%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.55 Rp 9,465

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.26 Rp 4,452

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.40 Rp 41.3K

5.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.44 Rp 59.1K

9.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.17 Rp 20.1K

89.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.13 Rp 19.4K

59.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$0.90 Rp 15.5K

143.33%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$1.60 Rp 27.5K

44.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$8.33 Rp 143.2K

132.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$3.24 Rp 55.7K

16.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$7.67 Rp 131.9K

72.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.40 Rp 41.3K

38.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.44 Rp 24.7K

14.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.80 Rp 31.0K

27.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.50 Rp 25.8K

32.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.37 Rp 23.5K

11.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.93 Rp 33.2K

-21.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.92 Rp 15.8K

11.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.41 Rp 7,060

24.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.47 Rp 42.4K

78.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$21.35 Rp 366.9K

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$2.02 Rp 34.7K

-10.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$3.24 Rp 55.7K

-17.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.30 Rp 5,123

376.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$9.59 Rp 164.8K

22.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$0.54 Rp 9,217

462.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.38 Rp 6,445

173.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$2.88 Rp 49.4K

375.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$0.81 Rp 13.9K

60.49%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$24.3K Rp 418.3M

14.62%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$27.8K Rp 477.3M

18.94%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$68.9 Rp 1.2M

78.48%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$4.34 Rp 74.6K

218.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$22.36 Rp 384.3K

-15.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$22.66 Rp 389.5K

169.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$6.32 Rp 108.6K

165.98%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$3.00 Rp 51.6K

195.67%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$93.7 Rp 1.6M

642.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$7,663 Rp 131.7M

109.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$42.09 Rp 723.4K

40.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$31.19 Rp 536.0K

11.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$67.9 Rp 1.2M

66.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$72.5 Rp 1.2M

17.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$261 Rp 4.5M

135.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$161 Rp 2.8M

179.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$596 Rp 10.2M

250.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$331 Rp 5.7M

351.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,303 Rp 22.4M

186.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$794 Rp 13.6M

235.21%

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 Pandan: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $261 in Tanjung Pandan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $12 in Tanjung Pandan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $208 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 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $1,012 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: $615 in Phuket versus $261 in Tanjung Pandan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $93.7 in Tanjung Pandan. 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 $675 in Tanjung Pandan versus $1,270 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 88% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.