Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $708 in Surabaya versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,133 in Surabaya versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,557 in Surabaya versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Surabaya costs roughly 44% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surabaya 47% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

$4.70 ฿153

-67.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.12 Rp 218.6K

$45.37 ฿1,482

-73.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.13 Rp 56.4K

$8.43 ฿275

-62.87%

Cappuccino

$1.82 Rp 32.7K

$2.93 ฿95.6

-37.88%

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

$0.60 Rp 10.8K

$0.69 ฿22.40

-13.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 Rp 4,648

$0.37 ฿11.99

-29.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 Rp 43.5K

$2.41 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 Rp 72.4K

$3.72 ฿122

8.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 Rp 25.0K

$2.23 ฿72.9

-38.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 Rp 26.3K

$1.83 ฿59.8

-20.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.8K

$2.17 ฿70.8

-57.14%

Eggs

$1.44 Rp 26.0K

$2.21 ฿72.3

-34.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 Rp 163.1K

$19.74 ฿645

-54.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 Rp 59.4K

$3.63 ฿119

-9.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.45 Rp 152.5K

$13.53 ฿442

-37.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.6K

$3.28 ฿107

-26.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 27.8K

$1.61 ฿52.6

-4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.6K

$2.41 ฿78.6

-9.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 Rp 25.7K

$2.08 ฿68.1

-31.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

$1.53 ฿49.93

-13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.4K

$1.48 ฿48.36

21.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

$0.99 ฿32.29

19.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 Rp 7,603

$0.51 ฿16.67

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 Rp 45.8K

$4.41 ฿144

-42.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.78 Rp 446.9K

$19.38 ฿633

27.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 Rp 31.8K

$1.78 ฿58.1

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 Rp 56.7K

$2.71 ฿88.6

15.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 Rp 8,572

$1.37 ฿44.79

-64.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.40 Rp 169.6K

$11.39 ฿372

-17.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,997

$3.02 ฿98.6

-85.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 Rp 5,216

$0.99 ฿32.48

-70.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 Rp 50.0K

$14.10 ฿461

-80.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

$1.36 ฿44.51

-38.24%

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

$20.6K Rp 372.2M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-26.82%

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

$35.8K Rp 645.7M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

8.82%

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

$84.9 Rp 1.5M

$122 ฿3,975

-30.27%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.7K

$13.57 ฿443

-69.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.75 Rp 356.2K

$18.31 ฿598

7.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.59 Rp 389.4K

$60.2 ฿1,967

-64.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.57 Rp 82.4K

$17.14 ฿560

-73.34%

Cinema Ticket

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

$8.69 ฿284

-67.20%

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

$188 Rp 3.4M

$693 ฿22.6K

-72.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,556 Rp 172.3M

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-39.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 Rp 1.1M

$59.5 ฿1,944

3.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.56 Rp 695.3K

$34.77 ฿1,136

10.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 Rp 1.4M

$115 ฿3,743

-32.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$83.3 ฿2,720

0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$242 Rp 4.4M

$613 ฿20.0K

-60.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 Rp 2.4M

$437 ฿14.3K

-69.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 Rp 13.7M

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-63.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 Rp 7.1M

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-73.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,209 Rp 39.8M

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-41.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,067 Rp 19.2M

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-59.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$276 Rp 5.0M

$508 ฿16.6K

-45.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

5.33

56.29%

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

Last update for Surabaya: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $242 in Surabaya and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 84% 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 Surabaya vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $293 per month, with Surabaya 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

Surabaya vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surabaya is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 84% 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: $242 in Surabaya versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $188 in Surabaya versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $708 in Surabaya versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surabaya but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Surabaya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Surabaya 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, Surabaya 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 Surabaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.