Cost of Living Comparison Between Tanjung Balai Karimun and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tanjung Balai Karimun and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $669 in Tanjung Balai Karimun versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,036 in Tanjung Balai Karimun versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,403 in Tanjung Balai Karimun versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Tanjung Balai Karimun costs roughly 47% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tanjung Balai Karimun 50% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.50 Rp 25.8K

$4.66 ฿150

-67.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.18 Rp 209.4K

$46.44 ฿1,496

-73.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.29 Rp 56.5K

$8.68 ฿280

-62.10%

Cappuccino

$1.65 Rp 28.3K

$2.95 ฿95.0

-44.07%

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

$0.55 Rp 9,493

$0.70 ฿22.52

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 Rp 4,418

$0.39 ฿12.70

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 Rp 43.0K

$2.53 ฿81.6

-1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 Rp 59.5K

$3.78 ฿122

-8.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 Rp 20.8K

$2.22 ฿71.5

-45.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 Rp 20.1K

$1.80 ฿57.8

-35.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 Rp 15.3K

$2.19 ฿70.4

-59.36%

Eggs

$1.58 Rp 27.1K

$2.31 ฿74.5

-31.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.01 Rp 137.6K

$19.34 ฿623

-58.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 Rp 53.4K

$3.77 ฿121

-17.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.04 Rp 138.2K

$13.22 ฿426

-39.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 Rp 41.2K

$3.33 ฿107

-28.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 Rp 24.9K

$1.65 ฿53.1

-12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 31.0K

$2.29 ฿73.7

-21.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 26.7K

$1.99 ฿64.1

-21.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 Rp 22.9K

$1.53 ฿49.24

-13.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$1.51 ฿48.77

25.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 Rp 15.3K

$1.03 ฿33.12

-13.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 Rp 7,066

$0.51 ฿16.57

-19.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 Rp 41.9K

$4.41 ฿142

-44.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.01 Rp 361.0K

$19.41 ฿625

8.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 Rp 35.9K

$1.80 ฿58.0

16.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 Rp 53.0K

$2.68 ฿86.4

15.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 Rp 5,571

$1.43 ฿46.11

-77.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.89 Rp 170.0K

$11.70 ฿377

-15.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 Rp 9,830

$3.04 ฿97.9

-81.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 Rp 5,965

$1.04 ฿33.37

-66.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 Rp 50.8K

$13.68 ฿441

-78.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.4K

$1.30 ฿41.85

-35.38%

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

$25.0K Rp 429.2M

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-10.48%

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

$27.8K Rp 477.7M

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-15.86%

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

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

$123 ฿3,962

-43.63%

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

$4.28 Rp 73.6K

$13.82 ฿445

-69.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.48 Rp 386.4K

$18.86 ฿608

19.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.84 Rp 392.5K

$61.2 ฿1,970

-62.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.18 Rp 106.3K

$16.81 ฿541

-63.24%

Cinema Ticket

$3.08 Rp 53.0K

$8.87 ฿286

-65.28%

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

$91.8 Rp 1.6M

$696 ฿22.4K

-86.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,594 Rp 130.5M

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-52.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.60 Rp 714.9K

$59.3 ฿1,910

-29.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.71 Rp 527.7K

$34.85 ฿1,123

-11.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 Rp 1.2M

$113 ฿3,646

-40.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

$85.1 ฿2,740

-11.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 Rp 4.5M

$615 ฿19.8K

-57.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 Rp 2.8M

$448 ฿14.4K

-64.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 Rp 10.0M

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-72.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 Rp 5.7M

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-77.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,383 Rp 23.8M

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-62.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$878 Rp 15.1M

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-67.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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 Tanjung Balai Karimun: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $262 in Tanjung Balai Karimun and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12 in Tanjung Balai Karimun vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $291 per month, with Tanjung Balai Karimun 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

Tanjung Balai Karimun vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tanjung Balai Karimun is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,004 in Tanjung Balai Karimun and $1,904 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: $262 in Tanjung Balai Karimun versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $91.8 in Tanjung Balai Karimun versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $669 in Tanjung Balai Karimun versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tanjung Balai Karimun but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tanjung Balai Karimun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tanjung Balai Karimun 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, Tanjung Balai Karimun 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 Tanjung Balai Karimun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.