Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibolga and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibolga and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $613 in Sibolga versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $954 in Sibolga versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,296 in Sibolga versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Sibolga costs roughly 50% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.51 Rp 26.2K

$4.63 ฿151

-67.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.21 Rp 210.7K

$46.84 ฿1,523

-73.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.44 Rp 59.3K

$8.84 ฿287

-61.09%

Cappuccino

$1.68 Rp 29.0K

$3.00 ฿97.4

-44.00%

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

$0.52 Rp 8,912

$0.74 ฿24.11

-29.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 4,881

$0.37 ฿11.88

-24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 Rp 54.3K

$2.44 ฿79.3

28.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 Rp 44.1K

$3.61 ฿117

-29.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 Rp 20.4K

$2.26 ฿73.5

-47.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 Rp 20.1K

$1.84 ฿59.8

-36.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 16.2K

$2.24 ฿73.0

-58.04%

Eggs

$1.53 Rp 26.4K

$2.32 ฿75.3

-34.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 Rp 142.8K

$19.67 ฿639

-57.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 39.4K

$3.65 ฿119

-37.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.72 Rp 150.6K

$13.10 ฿426

-33.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.2K

$3.39 ฿110

-31.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 Rp 25.9K

$1.64 ฿53.4

-8.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 32.2K

$2.41 ฿78.5

-22.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 Rp 26.0K

$2.03 ฿66.0

-26.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 Rp 12.1K

$1.56 ฿50.6

-55.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 Rp 26.5K

$1.50 ฿48.66

2.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 Rp 16.3K

$1.02 ฿33.30

-6.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 Rp 5,651

$0.49 ฿15.91

-32.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.76 Rp 30.4K

$4.45 ฿145

-60.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.74 Rp 392.7K

$18.88 ฿614

20.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 Rp 38.8K

$1.78 ฿57.7

26.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 Rp 39.2K

$2.75 ฿89.5

-17.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 Rp 7,750

$1.40 ฿45.54

-67.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.94 Rp 171.6K

$11.48 ฿373

-13.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 Rp 9,179

$3.12 ฿101

-83.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 Rp 5,992

$1.00 ฿32.48

-65.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 Rp 49.4K

$14.09 ฿458

-79.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 Rp 17.8K

$1.35 ฿43.93

-23.70%

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

$24.9K Rp 430.2M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-8.35%

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

$27.7K Rp 479.0M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-15.73%

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

$26.40 Rp 455.8K

$125 ฿4,063

-78.88%

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

$4.20 Rp 72.5K

$13.57 ฿441

-69.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.41 Rp 387.0K

$18.52 ฿602

21.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.64 Rp 390.9K

$61.5 ฿1,999

-63.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.98 Rp 103.2K

$16.84 ฿547

-64.49%

Cinema Ticket

$3.12 Rp 53.8K

$9.19 ฿299

-66.05%

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

$24.44 Rp 421.9K

$698 ฿22.7K

-96.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,477 Rp 129.1M

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-52.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.54 Rp 268.3K

$57.8 ฿1,878

-73.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.49 Rp 319.3K

$35.24 ฿1,146

-47.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 Rp 1.1M

$113 ฿3,677

-42.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.7 Rp 1.3M

$86.4 ฿2,808

-15.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 Rp 4.5M

$616 ฿20.0K

-57.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 Rp 2.7M

$446 ฿14.5K

-64.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 Rp 10.3M

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-70.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 Rp 5.8M

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-77.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,202 Rp 20.8M

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-68.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$767 Rp 13.2M

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-71.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$524 ฿17.0K

-68.21%

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 Sibolga: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $261 in Sibolga and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 215% 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 Sibolga vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $292 per month, with Sibolga 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

Sibolga vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sibolga is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 215% less. 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: $261 in Sibolga versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $24.44 in Sibolga versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $613 in Sibolga versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sibolga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sibolga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sibolga 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, Sibolga 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 Sibolga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.