Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Timika Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Timika

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $679 in Timika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,041 in Timika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,402 in Timika.

Living in Phuket is roughly 87% more expensive than Timika, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Timika 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$1.56 Rp 26.8K

198.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$12.34 Rp 212.0K

276.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$3.40 Rp 58.4K

155.29%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$1.74 Rp 29.9K

69.54%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.55 Rp 9,380

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.26 Rp 4,453

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.42 Rp 41.6K

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.54 Rp 60.8K

6.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.22 Rp 20.9K

81.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.14 Rp 19.5K

57.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$0.87 Rp 14.9K

151.72%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$1.55 Rp 26.6K

49.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$8.05 Rp 138.3K

140.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$3.23 Rp 55.6K

16.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$7.72 Rp 132.6K

71.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.37 Rp 40.8K

40.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.48 Rp 25.5K

11.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.78 Rp 30.7K

28.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.56 Rp 26.8K

27.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.37 Rp 23.5K

11.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.87 Rp 32.1K

-19.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.95 Rp 16.3K

8.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.45 Rp 7,684

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.52 Rp 43.3K

75.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$25.41 Rp 436.7K

-23.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$2.08 Rp 35.8K

-13.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$3.21 Rp 55.2K

-16.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.30 Rp 5,107

376.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$10.12 Rp 173.9K

15.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$0.57 Rp 9,868

433.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.35 Rp 5,954

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$2.85 Rp 48.9K

380.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$0.83 Rp 14.2K

56.63%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$24.5K Rp 420.4M

14.06%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$27.2K Rp 467.3M

21.51%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$70.7 Rp 1.2M

73.93%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$4.18 Rp 71.8K

230.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$22.68 Rp 389.8K

-16.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$23.25 Rp 399.6K

163.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$6.27 Rp 107.8K

168.10%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$3.01 Rp 51.7K

194.68%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$92.9 Rp 1.6M

649.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$7,436 Rp 127.8M

115.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$41.48 Rp 712.9K

42.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$30.97 Rp 532.2K

12.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$67.3 Rp 1.2M

68.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$74.5 Rp 1.3M

14.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$254 Rp 4.4M

142.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$155 Rp 2.7M

190.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$587 Rp 10.1M

254.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$334 Rp 5.7M

347.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,053 Rp 18.1M

254.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$733 Rp 12.6M

263.34%

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 Timika: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $254 in Timika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $12 in Timika for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $217 per month, with Timika 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 Timika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timika is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $1,019 in Timika 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 $254 in Timika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $92.9 in Timika. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $679 in Timika versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Timika but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Timika the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Timika 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 Timika 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 Timika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.