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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $638 in Timika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,017 in Timika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,396 in Timika.

Living in Phuket is roughly 98% more expensive than in Timika, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$1.68 Rp 29.7K

177.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$14.11 Rp 248.3K

128.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$3.41 Rp 60.1K

154.55%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.57 Rp 27.6K

84.71%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.45 Rp 7,943

86.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.25 Rp 4,434

96.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

7.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.36 Rp 59.2K

11.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.13 Rp 20.0K

67.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

27.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.89 Rp 15.6K

82.02%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.49 Rp 26.1K

50.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$7.17 Rp 126.2K

176.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$2.93 Rp 51.5K

18.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$7.86 Rp 138.4K

44.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.28 Rp 40.1K

27.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.33 Rp 23.4K

29.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.77 Rp 31.1K

28.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.24 Rp 21.9K

71.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.32 Rp 23.3K

11.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.95 Rp 34.4K

-27.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.73 Rp 12.9K

50.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.43 Rp 7,591

39.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.79 Rp 49.0K

54.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$20.36 Rp 358.5K

-8.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.94 Rp 34.2K

-7.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.95 Rp 51.9K

0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.27 Rp 4,727

733.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.49 Rp 8,543

532.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.33 Rp 5,787

227.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$2.92 Rp 51.5K

32.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.74 Rp 13.1K

93.24%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$23.6K Rp 414.6M

17.98%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$30.5K Rp 536.9M

-11.51%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$67.6 Rp 1.2M

55.05%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$4.51 Rp 79.5K

152.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$19.59 Rp 344.9K

-10.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$20.49 Rp 360.8K

165.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$8.54 Rp 150.3K

33.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$2.88 Rp 50.6K

170.14%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

499.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$7,945 Rp 139.9M

45.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$44.69 Rp 786.9K

42.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$29.88 Rp 526.1K

-2.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$74.3 Rp 1.3M

29.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$71.9 Rp 1.3M

25.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$222 Rp 3.9M

229.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$156 Rp 2.7M

221.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$565 Rp 9.9M

276.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$370 Rp 6.5M

238.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,165 Rp 20.5M

203.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$656 Rp 11.5M

299.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Timika: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $222 in Timika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Timika for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $197 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, Getting Around. The 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $956 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: $733 in Phuket versus $222 in Timika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $96.2 in Timika. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Timika – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $638 in Timika versus $1,265 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 98% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.