Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pontianak and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Pontianak: $480 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Pontianak

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$480

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pontianak and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pontianak and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $480 in Pontianak versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Pontianak $480
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $596 in Pontianak versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Pontianak $596
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $712 in Pontianak versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Pontianak $712
Phuket $3,154

Living in Pontianak costs roughly 62% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pontianak 65% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

$4.47 ฿151

-61.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.37 Rp 152.2K

$32.41 ฿1,094

-74.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.84 Rp 51.6K

$8.81 ฿297

-67.76%

Cappuccino

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

$2.83 ฿95.5

-56.89%

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

$0.48 Rp 8,791

$0.87 ฿29.43

-44.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 Rp 4,183

$0.49 ฿16.67

-53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 Rp 50.3K

$2.56 ฿86.4

8.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 Rp 66.3K

$3.68 ฿124

-0.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 Rp 19.6K

$1.66 ฿56.0

-34.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 Rp 24.8K

$1.46 ฿49.35

-6.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 Rp 16.7K

$1.50 ฿50.6

-38.67%

Eggs

$1.42 Rp 25.8K

$2.09 ฿70.5

-32.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 Rp 61.6K

$3.30 ฿111

2.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 Rp 54.7K

$2.93 ฿99.0

2.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 36.0K

$1.69 ฿57.1

17.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 Rp 39.5K

$2.25 ฿75.8

-3.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,270

$0.52 ฿17.52

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 Rp 51.5K

$4.20 ฿142

-32.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.95 Rp 398.9K

$18.79 ฿634

16.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 Rp 32.7K

$1.82 ฿61.5

-1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 Rp 38.0K

$2.84 ฿95.9

-26.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,836

$1.45 ฿49.03

-81.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 Rp 12.8K

$1.47 ฿49.81

-52.38%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

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

$69.4 Rp 1.3M

$96.4 ฿3,254

-27.97%

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

$5.48 Rp 99.7K

$11.26 ฿380

-51.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.71 Rp 394.6K

$16.85 ฿569

28.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.72 Rp 431.1K

$67.2 ฿2,270

-64.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.57 Rp 210.3K

$10.73 ฿362

7.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.62 Rp 65.8K

$7.50 ฿253

-51.73%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.13 Rp 602.2K

$62.4 ฿2,106

-46.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 Rp 607.0K

$28.41 ฿959

17.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$716 ฿24.2K

-76.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$111 Rp 2.0M

$491 ฿16.6K

-77.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$265 Rp 4.8M

$502 ฿17.0K

-47.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

79.53%

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

Last update for Pontianak: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Pontianak

–

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Groceries & Markets

Pontianak

–

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pontianak

–

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Pontianak

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Eating Out

Pontianak

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Pontianak

–

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Getting Around

Pontianak

–

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $167 in Pontianak and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 90% 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: $8 in Pontianak vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $150 vs $266 per month, with Pontianak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Pontianak

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

Same time as Pontianak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

672,440

79,308

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pontianak Phuket 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Pontianak
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 62% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Pontianak. 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: $167 in Pontianak versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pontianak – a meal for two runs $8 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $480 in Pontianak versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Pontianak wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.