Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timika and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Timika: $623 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 Timika
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Timika Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Timika

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$623

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Timika 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 Timika and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $623 in Timika versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Timika $623
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,011 in Timika versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Timika $1,011
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,398 in Timika versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Timika $1,398
Phuket $3,154

Living in Timika costs roughly 51% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Timika 54% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.60 Rp 29.1K

$4.47 ฿151

-64.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.94 Rp 253.3K

$32.41 ฿1,094

-56.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.00 Rp 54.5K

$8.81 ฿297

-65.95%

Cappuccino

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$2.83 ฿95.5

-47.35%

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

$0.43 Rp 7,890

$0.87 ฿29.43

-50.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 Rp 4,689

$0.49 ฿16.67

-46.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 Rp 39.7K

$2.56 ฿86.4

-14.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 Rp 57.1K

$3.68 ฿124

-14.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 Rp 23.5K

$1.66 ฿56.0

-22.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 Rp 21.0K

$1.46 ฿49.35

-20.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 Rp 16.0K

$1.50 ฿50.6

-41.33%

Eggs

$1.42 Rp 25.9K

$2.09 ฿70.5

-32.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.02 Rp 127.6K

$19.07 ฿644

-63.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.61 Rp 47.5K

$3.30 ฿111

-20.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.41 Rp 134.6K

$10.91 ฿368

-32.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 Rp 45.3K

$2.93 ฿99.0

-15.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 Rp 20.0K

$1.69 ฿57.1

-34.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 28.0K

$2.25 ฿75.8

-31.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 Rp 24.6K

$2.08 ฿70.1

-35.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 Rp 24.0K

$1.51 ฿51.0

-12.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 37.5K

$1.38 ฿46.56

49.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.07 ฿35.99

-19.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 Rp 7,272

$0.52 ฿17.52

-23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

$4.20 ฿142

-35.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 Rp 330.6K

$18.79 ฿634

-3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 Rp 30.1K

$1.82 ฿61.5

-8.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 Rp 53.4K

$2.84 ฿95.9

3.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,446

$1.45 ฿49.03

-83.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.84 Rp 197.1K

$56.7 ฿1,913

-80.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,629

$3.02 ฿102

-84.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 Rp 5,366

$1.02 ฿34.36

-70.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 Rp 46.4K

$3.69 ฿125

-30.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.6K

$1.47 ฿49.81

-45.58%

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

$25.5K Rp 462.6M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-4.95%

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

$35.6K Rp 646.4M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

33.25%

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

$60.6 Rp 1.1M

$96.4 ฿3,254

-37.10%

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

$3.93 Rp 71.4K

$11.26 ฿380

-65.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.61 Rp 301.9K

$16.85 ฿569

-1.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.97 Rp 344.8K

$67.2 ฿2,270

-71.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.64 Rp 157.0K

$10.73 ฿362

-19.48%

Cinema Ticket

$2.68 Rp 48.8K

$7.50 ฿253

-64.27%

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

$91.9 Rp 1.7M

$476 ฿16.1K

-80.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,848 Rp 160.8M

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-21.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.34 Rp 805.8K

$62.4 ฿2,106

-28.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.46 Rp 462.7K

$28.41 ฿959

-10.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$94.3 ฿3,184

-18.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.1 Rp 1.4M

$85.8 ฿2,898

-8.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 Rp 4.3M

$716 ฿24.2K

-66.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 Rp 2.8M

$491 ฿16.6K

-68.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 Rp 11.1M

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-68.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 Rp 7.3M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-71.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,199 Rp 21.8M

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-71.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$784 Rp 14.2M

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-74.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

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 Timika: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Timika

$189 30.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 40.9% $77

Accommodation & Living

Timika

$155 24.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 218% $336

Clothing & Footwear

Timika

$101 16.2%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 20.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Timika

$81 13%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 53.4% $43

Eating Out

Timika

$60 9.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 104% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Timika

$24 3.9%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 238% $58

Getting Around

Timika

$14 2.2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 413% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $237 in Timika and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14 in Timika vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $189 vs $266 per month, with Timika cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Timika

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

23:01 11:01 PM

21:01 9:01 PM

2 h behind Timika

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,228 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Timika Phuket 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Timika
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

Timika vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timika is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $935 in Timika 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: $237 in Timika versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $92 in Timika 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 41% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $623 in Timika versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Timika but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Timika 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 Timika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.