Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denpasar, Bali and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Denpasar, Bali: $905 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Denpasar, Bali
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Denpasar, Bali Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Denpasar, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$905

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $905 in Denpasar, Bali versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Denpasar, Bali $905
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,497 in Denpasar, Bali versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Denpasar, Bali $1,497
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,089 in Denpasar, Bali versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Denpasar, Bali $2,089
Phuket $3,154

Living in Denpasar, Bali costs roughly 29% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Denpasar, Bali 34% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$4.47 ฿151

-50.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 Rp 424.0K

$32.41 ฿1,093

-27.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.84 Rp 69.6K

$8.81 ฿297

-56.41%

Cappuccino

$1.76 Rp 31.8K

$2.83 ฿95.4

-37.81%

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

$1.16 Rp 21.0K

$0.87 ฿29.41

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,749

$0.49 ฿16.65

10.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

$2.56 ฿86.3

-29.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 51.5K

$3.68 ฿124

-22.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

$1.66 ฿55.9

-26.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

$1.46 ฿49.31

21.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 Rp 17.8K

$1.50 ฿50.5

-34.67%

Eggs

$1.72 Rp 31.2K

$2.09 ฿70.5

-17.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.45 Rp 261.9K

$19.07 ฿643

-24.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 Rp 58.3K

$3.30 ฿111

-2.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.52 Rp 172.4K

$10.91 ฿368

-12.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 Rp 52.9K

$2.93 ฿98.9

-0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 Rp 22.6K

$1.69 ฿57.0

-26.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 34.0K

$2.25 ฿75.8

-16.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.8K

$2.08 ฿70.0

-23.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$1.51 ฿51.0

-1.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 Rp 34.0K

$1.38 ฿46.52

35.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

$1.07 ฿35.96

-20.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 7,080

$0.52 ฿17.51

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

$4.20 ฿142

-56.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 Rp 325.7K

$18.79 ฿634

-4.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 Rp 34.7K

$1.82 ฿61.5

4.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 Rp 44.3K

$2.84 ฿95.8

-14.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,155

$1.45 ฿48.98

-84.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.97 Rp 144.5K

$56.7 ฿1,912

-85.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 Rp 7,612

$3.02 ฿102

-86.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$1.02 ฿34.33

-57.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 Rp 55.7K

$3.69 ฿125

-16.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 Rp 13.6K

$1.47 ฿49.76

-48.98%

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

$21.6K Rp 391.2M

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-19.38%

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

$29.5K Rp 535.0M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

10.61%

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

$73.6 Rp 1.3M

$96.4 ฿3,251

-23.61%

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

$5.88 Rp 106.5K

$11.26 ฿380

-47.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.22 Rp 293.9K

$16.85 ฿568

-3.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.04 Rp 634.9K

$67.2 ฿2,268

-47.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.85 Rp 232.9K

$10.73 ฿362

19.76%

Cinema Ticket

$3.03 Rp 54.8K

$7.50 ฿253

-59.60%

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

$378 Rp 6.8M

$476 ฿16.1K

-20.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,463 Rp 80.9M

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-60.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.59 Rp 717.4K

$62.4 ฿2,104

-36.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.73 Rp 538.6K

$28.41 ฿958

4.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.0 Rp 1.2M

$94.3 ฿3,181

-28.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.8 Rp 1.2M

$85.8 ฿2,895

-22.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 Rp 10.7M

$716 ฿24.2K

-17.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 Rp 6.5M

$491 ฿16.6K

-26.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 Rp 33.7M

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-3.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$889 Rp 16.1M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-37.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,448 Rp 26.2M

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-65.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,176 Rp 21.3M

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-61.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$279 Rp 5.1M

$502 ฿16.9K

-44.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

5.57

147.40%

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

Last update for Denpasar, Bali: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denpasar, Bali

$360 39.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 36.3% $131

Groceries & Markets

Denpasar, Bali

$233 25.8%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 14.3% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denpasar, Bali

$96 10.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 30.1% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Denpasar, Bali

$91 10.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 33.3% $30

Eating Out

Denpasar, Bali

$72 8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 69.2% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Denpasar, Bali

$41 4.5%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 100% $41

Getting Around

Denpasar, Bali

$11 1.3%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 516% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $591 in Denpasar, Bali and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 80% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Denpasar, Bali vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $266 per month, with Denpasar, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Denpasar, Bali

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

11:12 11:12 AM

1 h behind Denpasar, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

788,445

79,308

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Denpasar, Bali Phuket 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Denpasar, Bali
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

Denpasar, Bali vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $905 in Denpasar, Bali and $1,278 in Phuket, so Denpasar, Bali is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Denpasar, Bali. 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: $591 in Denpasar, Bali versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $905 per month in Denpasar, Bali versus $1,278 in Phuket – Denpasar, Bali is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Denpasar, Bali runs roughly 86% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $905 in Denpasar, Bali versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Denpasar, Bali but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Denpasar, Bali 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.

Safety-wise, Denpasar, Bali and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Denpasar, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.