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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $635 in Tanjung Pinang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,000 in Tanjung Pinang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $1,365 in Tanjung Pinang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 99% more expensive than in Tanjung Pinang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tanjung Pinang 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$3.47 Rp 61.6K

27.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$11.19 Rp 198.8K

213.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$3.60 Rp 64.0K

148.89%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.43 Rp 25.4K

109.79%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$0.50 Rp 8,969

54.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.23 Rp 4,061

104.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.50 Rp 44.4K

-4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$3.83 Rp 68.1K

-2.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.21 Rp 21.5K

50.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$0.93 Rp 16.5K

52.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$0.79 Rp 14.0K

96.20%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.42 Rp 25.2K

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$7.08 Rp 125.9K

179.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$2.88 Rp 51.3K

20.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$6.94 Rp 123.4K

59.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$2.10 Rp 37.4K

38.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.24 Rp 22.0K

33.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$2.01 Rp 35.7K

12.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.07 Rp 19.1K

96.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$1.15 Rp 20.4K

27.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$2.01 Rp 35.7K

-29.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$0.74 Rp 13.2K

47.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.39 Rp 6,998

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$2.67 Rp 47.5K

67.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$19.03 Rp 338.2K

-1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.87 Rp 33.2K

-1.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$2.86 Rp 50.8K

3.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.26 Rp 4,685

769.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$0.53 Rp 9,344

473.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.34 Rp 5,987

220.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$2.79 Rp 49.6K

36.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$0.68 Rp 12.1K

119.12%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$25.0K Rp 444.9M

9.61%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$27.4K Rp 487.9M

0.23%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$71.4 Rp 1.3M

42.59%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$4.22 Rp 75.1K

167.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$16.62 Rp 295.4K

6.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$20.18 Rp 358.8K

168.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$8.83 Rp 156.9K

24.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$2.86 Rp 50.9K

174.48%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$104 Rp 1.9M

453.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$7,117 Rp 126.5M

63.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$46.00 Rp 817.6K

42.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$28.32 Rp 503.3K

2.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$70.2 Rp 1.2M

41.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$66.3 Rp 1.2M

36.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$208 Rp 3.7M

262.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$175 Rp 3.1M

179.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$536 Rp 9.5M

289.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$369 Rp 6.6M

227.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$1,103 Rp 19.6M

225.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$706 Rp 12.5M

269.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$197 Rp 3.5M

154.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.67

-42.40%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Tanjung Pinang: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $208 in Tanjung Pinang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 154% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Tanjung Pinang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $186 per month, with Tanjung Pinang 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 Pinang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tanjung Pinang is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 154% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Phuket versus $208 in Tanjung Pinang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $104 in Tanjung Pinang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tanjung Pinang – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $35.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $635 in Tanjung Pinang versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tanjung Pinang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tanjung Pinang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tanjung Pinang 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 Pinang 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 Pinang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.