Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Bali: $1,214 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. The total is higher in Phuket despite lower rent and utilities.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,214

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bali

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,214 in Bali, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Bali $1,214

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,047 in Bali, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Bali $2,047

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,880 in Bali, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Bali $2,880

Phuket costs about 5% more than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Bali 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.73 Rp 49.5K

63.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$28.91 Rp 524.4K

12.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.56 Rp 82.7K

93.20%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

25.22%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.43 Rp 25.9K

-39.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.68 Rp 12.4K

-27.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

14.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.68 Rp 66.8K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

11.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$2.18 Rp 39.6K

-33.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.14 Rp 20.7K

31.58%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.02 Rp 36.6K

3.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$16.81 Rp 304.8K

13.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.57 Rp 64.8K

-7.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.31 Rp 205.1K

-3.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$3.44 Rp 62.5K

-14.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.51 Rp 27.4K

11.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.19 Rp 39.7K

2.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

10.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.71 Rp 31.0K

-11.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$2.32 Rp 42.0K

-40.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

8.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.50 Rp 9,066

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.03 Rp 36.8K

106.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$21.49 Rp 389.8K

-12.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.14 Rp 38.7K

-14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.87 Rp 52.0K

-1.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.25 Rp 4,562

480.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$8.82 Rp 160.0K

542.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.45 Rp 8,153

571.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.44 Rp 7,975

131.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$5.48 Rp 99.4K

-32.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

65.17%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$24.3K Rp 440.7M

10.21%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$31.9K Rp 579.4M

-16.44%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

20.66%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$6.55 Rp 118.8K

71.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$18.48 Rp 335.2K

-8.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$40.66 Rp 737.5K

65.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$14.93 Rp 270.7K

-28.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.67 Rp 66.5K

104.36%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$437 Rp 7.9M

8.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$5,063 Rp 91.8M

122.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$43.62 Rp 791.2K

42.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$32.69 Rp 593.0K

-13.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$73.6 Rp 1.3M

28.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$74.3 Rp 1.3M

15.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$984 Rp 17.8M

-27.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$583 Rp 10.6M

-15.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$3,121 Rp 56.6M

-38.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,475 Rp 26.8M

-3.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,447 Rp 44.4M

70.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,963 Rp 35.6M

55.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$215 Rp 3.9M

133.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.78

-59.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Bali

$583 48% 18.7% $92

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Bali

$275 22.7% 3.3% $8.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Bali

$105 8.6% 15.7% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bali

$101 8.3% 17.2% $21

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bali

$90 7.4% 26.4% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Bali

$48 4% 41.6% $34

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Bali

$12 1% 82.3% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $984 in Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Phuket are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $29 in Bali. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $275 in Bali – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

18:20 6:20 PM

19:20 7:20 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,241 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Bali 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bali

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

Phuket vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 5% more than Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,821 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $984 in Bali.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $29 in Bali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,214 in Bali. That makes Bali about 5% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,278 in Phuket and $1,214 in Bali. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bali costs $1,214 versus $1,278 in Phuket. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.