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: $591 in Sibolga versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $944 in Sibolga versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,296 in Sibolga versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Sibolga costs roughly 53% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sibolga 56% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.55 Rp 28.1K

$4.48 ฿150

-65.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.22 Rp 221.0K

$45.59 ฿1,525

-73.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.48 Rp 62.8K

$8.76 ฿293

-60.27%

Cappuccino

$1.67 Rp 30.2K

$2.97 ฿99.3

-43.77%

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

$0.51 Rp 9,310

$0.69 ฿22.96

-26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,116

$0.39 ฿13.07

-28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 Rp 56.2K

$2.53 ฿84.7

22.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 Rp 48.0K

$3.75 ฿125

-29.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

$2.15 ฿71.8

-43.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

$1.82 ฿60.7

-35.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

$2.18 ฿73.1

-57.34%

Eggs

$1.59 Rp 28.7K

$2.25 ฿75.2

-29.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.33 Rp 150.5K

$20.00 ฿669

-58.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 41.1K

$3.63 ฿121

-37.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.10 Rp 164.5K

$13.56 ฿453

-32.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 Rp 41.5K

$3.24 ฿109

-29.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 27.3K

$1.64 ฿54.7

-7.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 Rp 34.2K

$2.33 ฿78.0

-18.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$2.07 ฿69.3

-28.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 Rp 12.9K

$1.55 ฿51.8

-54.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 Rp 27.6K

$1.46 ฿48.67

4.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 Rp 16.4K

$0.98 ฿32.94

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 Rp 6,344

$0.48 ฿16.13

-27.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 Rp 31.2K

$4.35 ฿146

-60.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 419.3K

$18.57 ฿621

24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 41.8K

$1.86 ฿62.1

24.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 Rp 42.1K

$2.65 ฿88.8

-12.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 Rp 7,393

$1.42 ฿47.40

-71.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.68 Rp 175.0K

$11.57 ฿387

-16.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 Rp 9,606

$3.17 ฿106

-83.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 Rp 6,764

$1.03 ฿34.51

-64.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 Rp 51.8K

$13.89 ฿465

-79.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 Rp 19.2K

$1.34 ฿44.96

-20.90%

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

$24.7K Rp 446.1M

$27.8K ฿929.6K

-11.23%

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

$27.3K Rp 492.8M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-18.36%

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

$26.79 Rp 484.5K

$123 ฿4,116

-78.23%

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

$4.22 Rp 76.3K

$13.77 ฿461

-69.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.81 Rp 412.5K

$18.33 ฿613

24.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.00 Rp 415.9K

$60.7 ฿2,030

-62.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.08 Rp 110.0K

$17.16 ฿574

-64.57%

Cinema Ticket

$3.09 Rp 55.9K

$8.87 ฿297

-65.16%

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

$24.11 Rp 436.0K

$688 ฿23.0K

-96.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,603 Rp 137.5M

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-51.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.45 Rp 279.3K

$59.3 ฿1,984

-73.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.19 Rp 328.8K

$34.69 ฿1,160

-47.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.2 Rp 1.2M

$115 ฿3,853

-42.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 Rp 1.4M

$83.8 ฿2,802

-10.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$260 Rp 4.7M

$621 ฿20.8K

-58.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 Rp 2.9M

$446 ฿14.9K

-64.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 Rp 10.5M

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-71.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 Rp 6.0M

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-77.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,293 Rp 23.4M

$3,455 ฿115.6K

-62.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$622 Rp 11.2M

$2,531 ฿84.7K

-75.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $260 in Sibolga and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12.00 in Sibolga vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $291 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 114% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $887 in Sibolga and $1,896 in Phuket 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: $260 in Sibolga versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $24.11 in Sibolga versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $591 in Sibolga versus $1,264 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 114% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.