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: $702 in Surabaya versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,117 in Surabaya versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,532 in Surabaya versus $3,317 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

$1.58 Rp 28.4K

$4.55 ฿153

-65.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.11 Rp 217.6K

$46.18 ฿1,553

-73.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.05 Rp 54.9K

$8.84 ฿297

-65.50%

Cappuccino

$1.80 Rp 32.4K

$3.06 ฿103

-41.18%

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

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

$0.73 ฿24.40

-12.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,048

$0.40 ฿13.39

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 Rp 43.2K

$2.43 ฿81.8

-1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 Rp 73.5K

$3.78 ฿127

8.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 Rp 24.7K

$2.26 ฿76.0

-38.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

$1.81 ฿60.9

-17.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

$2.25 ฿75.8

-58.22%

Eggs

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

$2.25 ฿75.5

-33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 Rp 166.1K

$19.51 ฿656

-52.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 Rp 57.3K

$3.65 ฿123

-12.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.13 Rp 146.0K

$13.05 ฿439

-37.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 Rp 43.3K

$3.23 ฿109

-25.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.62 ฿54.4

-3.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$2.38 ฿80.1

-7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 Rp 27.0K

$2.03 ฿68.1

-26.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 Rp 23.8K

$1.53 ฿51.6

-13.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 Rp 31.1K

$1.50 ฿50.5

15.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 Rp 21.4K

$0.98 ฿32.91

21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 Rp 8,091

$0.52 ฿17.39

-13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 Rp 44.1K

$4.44 ฿149

-44.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.13 Rp 451.6K

$18.32 ฿616

37.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 Rp 33.5K

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 Rp 59.5K

$2.68 ฿90.1

23.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 Rp 7,860

$1.41 ฿47.46

-68.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.48 Rp 170.4K

$11.70 ฿393

-18.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,592

$3.11 ฿105

-84.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 Rp 5,615

$1.04 ฿35.06

-70.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$14.11 ฿474

-80.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.4K

$1.31 ฿44.10

-34.35%

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

$20.5K Rp 368.6M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-26.26%

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

$35.0K Rp 629.7M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

5.49%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$122 ฿4,118

-32.24%

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

$4.31 Rp 77.5K

$13.59 ฿457

-68.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.61 Rp 352.5K

$18.70 ฿629

4.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.82 Rp 392.2K

$60.5 ฿2,034

-63.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.59 Rp 82.6K

$16.98 ฿571

-72.97%

Cinema Ticket

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

$9.07 ฿305

-68.36%

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

$186 Rp 3.3M

$706 ฿23.8K

-73.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,556 Rp 171.7M

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-39.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 Rp 1.1M

$58.6 ฿1,969

7.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.85 Rp 698.2K

$35.36 ฿1,189

9.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 Rp 1.4M

$115 ฿3,883

-32.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 Rp 1.5M

$83.7 ฿2,816

-0.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 Rp 4.4M

$626 ฿21.0K

-60.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 Rp 2.4M

$445 ฿15.0K

-69.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$792 Rp 14.2M

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-61.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 Rp 7.2M

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-73.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,202 Rp 39.6M

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-36.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,045 Rp 18.8M

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-59.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$269 Rp 4.8M

$500 ฿16.8K

-46.17%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $244 in Surabaya and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 86% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $289 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 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Phuket. 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: $244 in Surabaya versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $186 in Surabaya versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $702 in Surabaya versus $1,250 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 78% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.