Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samarinda and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Samarinda: $652 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Samarinda
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Samarinda Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Samarinda

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$652

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Samarinda 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 Samarinda and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $652 in Samarinda versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Samarinda $652
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,055 in Samarinda versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Samarinda $1,055
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,457 in Samarinda versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Samarinda $1,457
Phuket $3,154

Living in Samarinda costs roughly 49% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Samarinda 52% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.63 Rp 29.5K

$4.47 ฿151

-63.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.90 Rp 251.8K

$32.41 ฿1,093

-57.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.33 Rp 60.3K

$8.81 ฿297

-62.20%

Cappuccino

$1.45 Rp 26.3K

$2.83 ฿95.4

-48.76%

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

$0.45 Rp 8,236

$0.87 ฿29.41

-48.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 Rp 4,363

$0.49 ฿16.65

-51.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 Rp 39.3K

$2.56 ฿86.3

-15.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 Rp 63.4K

$3.68 ฿124

-4.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 Rp 19.2K

$1.66 ฿55.9

-36.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.46 ฿49.31

-41.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 Rp 11.7K

$1.50 ฿50.5

-57.33%

Eggs

$1.37 Rp 24.8K

$2.09 ฿70.5

-34.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.12 Rp 129.0K

$19.07 ฿643

-62.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 Rp 64.2K

$3.30 ฿111

7.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.03 Rp 181.7K

$10.91 ฿368

-8.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 Rp 90.4K

$2.93 ฿98.9

70.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 Rp 19.7K

$1.69 ฿57.0

-35.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 Rp 19.5K

$2.25 ฿75.8

-52.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 Rp 25.6K

$2.08 ฿70.0

-32.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 Rp 23.3K

$1.51 ฿51.0

-14.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

$1.38 ฿46.52

31.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.07 ฿35.96

-24.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,216

$0.52 ฿17.51

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 Rp 37.5K

$4.20 ฿142

-50.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.12 Rp 382.6K

$18.79 ฿634

12.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 Rp 35.4K

$1.82 ฿61.5

7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 Rp 52.9K

$2.84 ฿95.8

2.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 Rp 3,777

$1.45 ฿48.98

-85.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.71 Rp 212.2K

$56.7 ฿1,912

-79.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 8,997

$3.02 ฿102

-83.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 Rp 5,997

$1.02 ฿34.33

-67.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 Rp 50.8K

$3.69 ฿125

-24.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.47 ฿49.76

-44.90%

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

$22.3K Rp 404.0M

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-16.73%

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

$31.5K Rp 571.1M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

18.08%

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

$63.1 Rp 1.1M

$96.4 ฿3,251

-34.54%

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

$3.84 Rp 69.6K

$11.26 ฿380

-65.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.56 Rp 336.2K

$16.85 ฿568

10.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.49 Rp 335.1K

$67.2 ฿2,268

-72.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.04 Rp 127.5K

$10.73 ฿362

-34.39%

Cinema Ticket

$2.73 Rp 49.5K

$7.50 ฿253

-63.60%

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

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$476 ฿16.1K

-79.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,897 Rp 161.2M

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-21.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.26 Rp 729.6K

$62.4 ฿2,104

-35.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.22 Rp 493.3K

$28.41 ฿958

-4.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 Rp 1.3M

$94.3 ฿3,181

-24.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.6 Rp 1.2M

$85.8 ฿2,895

-24.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 Rp 3.8M

$716 ฿24.2K

-70.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$161 Rp 2.9M

$491 ฿16.6K

-67.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 Rp 9.6M

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-72.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 Rp 7.6M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-70.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,231 Rp 22.3M

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-70.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$819 Rp 14.8M

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-73.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$327 Rp 5.9M

$502 ฿16.9K

-34.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

5.57

69.84%

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

Last update for Samarinda: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Samarinda

$214 32.8%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 24.5% $52

Accommodation & Living

Samarinda

$161 24.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 204% $329

Clothing & Footwear

Samarinda

$91 14%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 33.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samarinda

$85 13.1%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 45.6% $39

Eating Out

Samarinda

$61 9.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 99.2% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Samarinda

$24 3.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 243% $58

Getting Around

Samarinda

$15 2.3%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 381% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $210 in Samarinda and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 54% 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: $14 in Samarinda vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $266 per month, with Samarinda cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Samarinda

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:11 5:11 PM

16:11 4:11 PM

1 h behind Samarinda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

726,223

79,308

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Samarinda Phuket 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Samarinda
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

Samarinda vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samarinda is about 49% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Samarinda. 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: $210 in Samarinda versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $99 in Samarinda versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $652 in Samarinda versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Samarinda but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Samarinda 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.

Expats usually find Samarinda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.