Cost of Living Comparison Between Gili Trawangan and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Gili Trawangan and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $993 in Gili Trawangan versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,737 in Gili Trawangan versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,481 in Gili Trawangan versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Gili Trawangan costs roughly 22% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gili Trawangan 26% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 Rp 39.1K

$4.66 ฿150

-51.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.70 Rp 372.9K

$46.44 ฿1,496

-53.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.27 Rp 56.2K

$8.68 ฿280

-62.33%

Cappuccino

$1.83 Rp 31.5K

$2.95 ฿95.0

-37.97%

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

$0.92 Rp 15.8K

$0.70 ฿22.52

31.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 Rp 8,464

$0.39 ฿12.70

25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 Rp 34.5K

$2.53 ฿81.6

-20.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 Rp 43.5K

$3.78 ฿122

-33.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 Rp 23.7K

$2.22 ฿71.5

-37.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 Rp 33.1K

$1.80 ฿57.8

7.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 16.2K

$2.19 ฿70.4

-57.08%

Eggs

$1.87 Rp 32.2K

$2.31 ฿74.5

-19.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.91 Rp 187.5K

$19.34 ฿623

-43.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 Rp 57.2K

$3.77 ฿121

-11.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.18 Rp 157.8K

$13.22 ฿426

-30.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 Rp 49.3K

$3.33 ฿107

-13.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 20.3K

$1.65 ฿53.1

-28.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 Rp 37.1K

$2.29 ฿73.7

-5.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 Rp 29.3K

$1.99 ฿64.1

-14.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 26.1K

$1.53 ฿49.24

-0.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 Rp 28.6K

$1.51 ฿48.77

10.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 Rp 14.1K

$1.03 ฿33.12

-20.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,459

$0.51 ฿16.57

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 Rp 43.4K

$4.41 ฿142

-42.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.15 Rp 312.0K

$19.41 ฿625

-6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 Rp 37.1K

$1.80 ฿58.0

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 Rp 36.1K

$2.68 ฿86.4

-21.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 3,950

$1.43 ฿46.11

-83.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.86 Rp 117.9K

$11.70 ฿377

-41.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 Rp 7,084

$3.04 ฿97.9

-86.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 Rp 6,173

$1.04 ฿33.37

-65.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 Rp 92.0K

$13.68 ฿441

-60.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 Rp 12.7K

$1.30 ฿41.85

-43.08%

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

$22.0K Rp 377.5M

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-21.26%

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

$27.4K Rp 471.0M

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-17.04%

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

$67.1 Rp 1.2M

$123 ฿3,962

-45.47%

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

$3.39 Rp 58.3K

$13.82 ฿445

-75.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.03 Rp 344.2K

$18.86 ฿608

6.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

$61.2 ฿1,970

13.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.65 Rp 79.9K

$16.81 ฿541

-72.34%

Cinema Ticket

$2.79 Rp 48.0K

$8.87 ฿286

-68.55%

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

$218 Rp 3.8M

$696 ฿22.4K

-68.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,855 Rp 83.4M

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-69.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.20 Rp 811.2K

$59.3 ฿1,910

-20.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 Rp 562.5K

$34.85 ฿1,123

-6.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 Rp 1.3M

$113 ฿3,646

-32.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.5 Rp 1.2M

$85.1 ฿2,740

-20.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 Rp 10.3M

$615 ฿19.8K

-2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 Rp 7.1M

$448 ฿14.4K

-8.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 Rp 35.3M

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-1.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 Rp 21.4M

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-16.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,829 Rp 31.4M

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-51.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,424 Rp 24.5M

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-46.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

5.33

149.16%

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

Last update for Gili Trawangan: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $602 in Gili Trawangan and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22 in Gili Trawangan vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $291 per month, with Gili Trawangan 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

Gili Trawangan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gili Trawangan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,490 in Gili Trawangan 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: $602 in Gili Trawangan versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gili Trawangan – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $993 in Gili Trawangan versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gili Trawangan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Gili Trawangan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gili Trawangan 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, Gili Trawangan 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 Gili Trawangan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.