Cost of Living Comparison Between Tanjung Pinang and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tanjung Pinang and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $672 in Tanjung Pinang versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,055 in Tanjung Pinang versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,438 in Tanjung Pinang versus $3,310 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Tanjung Pinang 50% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.68 Rp 65.9K

$4.56 ฿149

-19.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.20 Rp 218.6K

$46.63 ฿1,519

-73.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.42 Rp 61.2K

$8.47 ฿276

-59.62%

Cappuccino

$1.71 Rp 30.7K

$3.03 ฿98.6

-43.56%

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

$0.52 Rp 9,254

$0.69 ฿22.45

-24.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 Rp 4,598

$0.37 ฿11.92

-29.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 Rp 45.3K

$2.49 ฿81.0

1.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 Rp 62.9K

$3.66 ฿119

-4.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

$2.18 ฿71.0

-46.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 Rp 20.2K

$1.90 ฿62.0

-40.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 Rp 17.1K

$2.20 ฿71.6

-56.36%

Eggs

$1.44 Rp 25.7K

$2.22 ฿72.4

-35.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 Rp 142.6K

$19.99 ฿651

-60.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 Rp 55.2K

$3.66 ฿119

-15.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.94 Rp 142.3K

$13.25 ฿432

-40.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 Rp 42.6K

$3.23 ฿105

-26.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 Rp 26.0K

$1.70 ฿55.3

-14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 33.6K

$2.39 ฿78.0

-21.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 27.0K

$2.08 ฿67.7

-27.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 Rp 24.7K

$1.59 ฿51.8

-13.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 Rp 33.9K

$1.48 ฿48.31

27.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 Rp 17.3K

$1.03 ฿33.54

-6.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 Rp 7,423

$0.52 ฿16.83

-21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 Rp 36.3K

$4.25 ฿138

-52.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.69 Rp 406.5K

$18.79 ฿612

20.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 Rp 36.7K

$1.76 ฿57.2

16.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 55.0K

$2.76 ฿89.8

11.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 Rp 5,794

$1.36 ฿44.32

-76.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.69 Rp 173.7K

$11.36 ฿370

-14.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 Rp 10.3K

$3.14 ฿102

-81.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 Rp 6,693

$1.04 ฿33.74

-64.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 Rp 51.8K

$13.77 ฿448

-79.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$1.34 ฿43.79

-45.52%

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

$24.7K Rp 443.2M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-10.63%

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

$27.7K Rp 496.7M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-18.14%

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

$69.7 Rp 1.2M

$124 ฿4,025

-43.57%

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

$4.38 Rp 78.4K

$13.52 ฿440

-67.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.37 Rp 400.7K

$18.69 ฿609

19.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.47 Rp 420.4K

$61.8 ฿2,013

-62.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.25 Rp 112.0K

$17.25 ฿562

-63.77%

Cinema Ticket

$2.58 Rp 46.2K

$9.14 ฿298

-71.77%

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

$95.0 Rp 1.7M

$703 ฿22.9K

-86.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,690 Rp 137.8M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-51.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.99 Rp 734.4K

$59.5 ฿1,937

-31.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.59 Rp 548.0K

$35.07 ฿1,142

-12.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.0 Rp 1.2M

$115 ฿3,754

-41.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.8 Rp 1.3M

$84.1 ฿2,737

-13.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 Rp 4.6M

$619 ฿20.1K

-58.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 Rp 2.8M

$433 ฿14.1K

-63.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 Rp 10.5M

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-71.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 Rp 5.9M

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-78.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,102 Rp 19.7M

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-69.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$718 Rp 12.9M

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-72.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$197 Rp 3.5M

$507 ฿16.5K

-61.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

5.33

21.95%

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

Last update for Tanjung Pinang: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $257 in Tanjung Pinang and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 158% 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 Tanjung Pinang vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $293 per month, with Tanjung Pinang 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 Pinang vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tanjung Pinang is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 158% 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: $257 in Tanjung Pinang versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $95.0 in Tanjung Pinang versus $703 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 $672 in Tanjung Pinang versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tanjung Pinang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tanjung Pinang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tanjung Pinang 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 Pinang 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 Pinang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.