Cost of Living Comparison Between Pontianak and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Pontianak and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $671 in Pontianak versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,030 in Pontianak versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,390 in Pontianak versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Pontianak costs roughly 47% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pontianak 50% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

$4.53 ฿153

-68.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.43 Rp 222.9K

$46.36 ฿1,562

-73.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.28 Rp 58.9K

$8.65 ฿291

-62.08%

Cappuccino

$1.71 Rp 30.7K

$3.09 ฿104

-44.66%

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

$0.52 Rp 9,269

$0.68 ฿22.85

-23.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,037

$0.37 ฿12.41

-24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 Rp 54.2K

$2.42 ฿81.4

24.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$3.81 ฿128

-36.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$2.18 ฿73.4

-46.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 Rp 20.1K

$1.82 ฿61.2

-38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 Rp 17.1K

$2.18 ฿73.3

-56.42%

Eggs

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

$2.24 ฿75.3

-31.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 Rp 147.9K

$19.93 ฿671

-58.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 Rp 56.4K

$3.64 ฿123

-13.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.07 Rp 144.8K

$13.56 ฿457

-40.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 Rp 43.0K

$3.29 ฿111

-27.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 Rp 26.6K

$1.69 ฿56.8

-12.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.4K

$2.33 ฿78.6

-20.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.1K

$2.03 ฿68.3

-22.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 Rp 24.7K

$1.60 ฿53.9

-13.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.4K

$1.49 ฿50.4

32.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 Rp 16.1K

$1.01 ฿34.11

-10.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 Rp 8,009

$0.48 ฿16.06

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.79 Rp 32.1K

$4.45 ฿150

-59.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.42 Rp 366.2K

$18.63 ฿628

9.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 Rp 38.0K

$1.79 ฿60.2

18.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 Rp 56.2K

$2.80 ฿94.2

11.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 Rp 5,789

$1.42 ฿47.81

-77.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.92 Rp 177.8K

$11.33 ฿382

-12.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 Rp 10.3K

$3.09 ฿104

-81.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 Rp 6,161

$1.04 ฿35.13

-67.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 Rp 51.8K

$13.63 ฿459

-78.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.31 ฿44.15

-35.11%

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

$24.7K Rp 442.4M

$27.3K ฿919.1K

-9.58%

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

$27.3K Rp 488.9M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-17.94%

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

$68.7 Rp 1.2M

$123 ฿4,149

-44.23%

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

$4.28 Rp 76.7K

$13.81 ฿465

-69.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.72 Rp 407.5K

$18.52 ฿624

22.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.19 Rp 415.9K

$60.4 ฿2,034

-61.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.30 Rp 112.9K

$16.80 ฿566

-62.50%

Cinema Ticket

$3.11 Rp 55.8K

$8.89 ฿299

-65.02%

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

$93.7 Rp 1.7M

$687 ฿23.1K

-86.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,587 Rp 136.1M

$15.6K ฿523.9K

-51.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.20 Rp 738.9K

$57.6 ฿1,942

-28.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.11 Rp 540.1K

$34.66 ฿1,168

-13.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 Rp 1.2M

$115 ฿3,872

-42.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

$84.9 ฿2,860

-13.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 Rp 4.6M

$618 ฿20.8K

-58.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 Rp 2.8M

$443 ฿14.9K

-64.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 Rp 10.7M

$2,047 ฿69.0K

-70.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 Rp 6.0M

$1,506 ฿50.7K

-77.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,214 Rp 21.8M

$3,568 ฿120.2K

-65.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$784 Rp 14.1M

$2,511 ฿84.6K

-68.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 Rp 6.0M

$503 ฿16.9K

-33.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

5.33

71.67%

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

Last update for Pontianak: July 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $257 in Pontianak and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 51% 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: $12.00 in Pontianak vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $292 per month, with Pontianak 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

Pontianak vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pontianak 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.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $257 in Pontianak versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $93.7 in Pontianak versus $687 in Phuket. 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 $671 in Pontianak versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pontianak but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pontianak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pontianak 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, Pontianak and Phuket 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 Pontianak 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.