Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tanjung Pandan and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanjung Pandan: $617 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Tanjung Pandan
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Tanjung Pandan Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Tanjung Pandan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$617

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tanjung Pandan and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tanjung Pandan and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $617 in Tanjung Pandan versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Tanjung Pandan $617
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,000 in Tanjung Pandan versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Tanjung Pandan $1,000
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,383 in Tanjung Pandan versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Tanjung Pandan $1,383
Phuket $3,154

Living in Tanjung Pandan costs roughly 52% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tanjung Pandan 55% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.59 Rp 28.9K

$4.47 ฿151

-64.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.06 Rp 273.3K

$32.41 ฿1,093

-53.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.59 Rp 65.2K

$8.81 ฿297

-59.25%

Cappuccino

$1.50 Rp 27.3K

$2.83 ฿95.4

-47.00%

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

$0.42 Rp 7,687

$0.87 ฿29.41

-51.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 Rp 3,943

$0.49 ฿16.65

-55.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

$2.56 ฿86.3

-20.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 Rp 60.4K

$3.68 ฿124

-9.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 Rp 19.2K

$1.66 ฿55.9

-36.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 Rp 18.1K

$1.46 ฿49.31

-31.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 17.1K

$1.50 ฿50.5

-37.33%

Eggs

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

$2.09 ฿70.5

-40.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 Rp 115.5K

$19.07 ฿643

-66.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 Rp 59.2K

$3.30 ฿111

-1.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.49 Rp 154.1K

$10.91 ฿368

-22.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 35.0K

$2.93 ฿98.9

-34.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

$1.69 ฿57.0

-33.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 Rp 31.9K

$2.25 ฿75.8

-21.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 22.5K

$2.08 ฿70.0

-40.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 Rp 19.7K

$1.51 ฿51.0

-28.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.5K

$1.38 ฿46.52

37.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 Rp 14.1K

$1.07 ฿35.96

-27.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 Rp 7,297

$0.52 ฿17.51

-23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 Rp 45.6K

$4.20 ฿142

-40.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.14 Rp 419.9K

$18.79 ฿634

23.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 Rp 33.0K

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 Rp 61.3K

$2.84 ฿95.8

19.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,557

$1.45 ฿48.98

-82.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.41 Rp 188.8K

$56.7 ฿1,912

-81.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,524

$3.02 ฿102

-84.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 Rp 6,501

$1.02 ฿34.33

-64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 Rp 44.9K

$3.69 ฿125

-33.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 16.1K

$1.47 ฿49.76

-40.14%

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

$20.2K Rp 366.3M

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-24.60%

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

$30.6K Rp 555.6M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

14.72%

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

$60.5 Rp 1.1M

$96.4 ฿3,251

-37.19%

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

$4.22 Rp 76.5K

$11.26 ฿380

-62.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.00 Rp 362.9K

$16.85 ฿568

18.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.60 Rp 355.7K

$67.2 ฿2,268

-70.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.42 Rp 152.8K

$10.73 ฿362

-21.53%

Cinema Ticket

$3.08 Rp 55.9K

$7.50 ฿253

-58.93%

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

$88.3 Rp 1.6M

$476 ฿16.1K

-81.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,394 Rp 134.2M

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-34.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.55 Rp 735.7K

$62.4 ฿2,104

-34.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.32 Rp 495.8K

$28.41 ฿958

-3.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 Rp 1.5M

$94.3 ฿3,181

-14.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 Rp 1.1M

$85.8 ฿2,895

-29.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 Rp 3.7M

$716 ฿24.2K

-71.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 Rp 2.6M

$491 ฿16.6K

-71.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 Rp 9.7M

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-72.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 Rp 6.9M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-73.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 Rp 22.9M

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-69.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$883 Rp 16.0M

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-71.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

5.57

69.84%

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

Last update for Tanjung Pandan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Tanjung Pandan

$197 31.9%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 35.2% $69

Accommodation & Living

Tanjung Pandan

$141 22.9%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 248% $350

Clothing & Footwear

Tanjung Pandan

$94 15.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 29.5% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tanjung Pandan

$85 13.7%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 46.9% $40

Eating Out

Tanjung Pandan

$61 9.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 99.5% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Tanjung Pandan

$26 4.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 219% $56

Getting Around

Tanjung Pandan

$14 2.2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 416% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $204 in Tanjung Pandan and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15 in Tanjung Pandan vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $266 per month, with Tanjung Pandan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Tanjung Pandan

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

19:19 7:19 PM

Same time as Tanjung Pandan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,062

79,308

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,281 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.71 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tanjung Pandan Phuket 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tanjung Pandan
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Pandan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tanjung Pandan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $926 in Tanjung Pandan and $1,917 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: $204 in Tanjung Pandan versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $88 in Tanjung Pandan versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $617 in Tanjung Pandan versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Tanjung Pandan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tanjung Pandan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Tanjung Pandan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.