Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gili Air

For one person, living is cheaper in Gili Air: $812 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Gili Air
Learn more

Gili Air Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Gili Air

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$812

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Gili Air

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 Gili Air actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $812 in Gili Air, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Gili Air $812

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $1,337 in Gili Air, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Gili Air $1,337

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $1,861 in Gili Air, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Gili Air $1,861

Phuket costs about 49% more than Gili Air, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Gili Air are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Gili Air 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$1.84 Rp 33.2K

139.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$19.34 Rp 348.1K

66.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

192.98%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.43 Rp 25.7K

97.90%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.44 Rp 7,928

6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

74.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.44 Rp 43.9K

56.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.13 Rp 20.4K

53.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.60 Rp 28.7K

-8.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

86.42%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.47 Rp 26.4K

47.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$12.29 Rp 221.3K

60.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$2.82 Rp 50.7K

18.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$8.56 Rp 154.0K

30.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.49 Rp 44.9K

14.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.14 Rp 20.5K

49.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.68 Rp 30.2K

30.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.37 Rp 24.7K

49.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

8.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

-19.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

46.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.38 Rp 6,869

34.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.59 Rp 28.7K

167.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$15.78 Rp 284.0K

17.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.69 Rp 30.5K

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.06 Rp 37.2K

38.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.18 Rp 3,182

1155.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$6.64 Rp 119.6K

232.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$0.38 Rp 6,851

692.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.34 Rp 6,206

211.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$5.04 Rp 90.6K

-23.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.71 Rp 12.8K

104.23%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$19.0K Rp 342.1M

38.54%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$25.7K Rp 461.8M

5.02%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$64.5 Rp 1.2M

49.50%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$5.21 Rp 93.7K

111.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$14.68 Rp 264.3K

16.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$32.16 Rp 578.8K

62.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$10.43 Rp 187.8K

7.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$2.51 Rp 45.1K

211.16%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$336 Rp 6.0M

65.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$3,931 Rp 70.8M

194.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$37.54 Rp 675.7K

71.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$28.70 Rp 516.5K

-0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$63.6 Rp 1.1M

49.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$63.0 Rp 1.1M

39.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$543 Rp 9.8M

35.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$331 Rp 6.0M

39.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$1,705 Rp 30.7M

22.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$807 Rp 14.5M

48.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,306 Rp 23.5M

167.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,074 Rp 19.3M

135.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

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 19, 2026

Last update for Gili Air: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Gili Air

$331 40.8% 28.4% $131

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Gili Air

$205 25.2% 23.7% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Gili Air

$84 10.4% 32.3% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Gili Air

$87 10.7% 30.2% $38

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Gili Air

$58 7.2% 52% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Gili Air

$37 4.6% 45.2% $31

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Gili Air

$9.5 1.2% 76% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $543 in Gili Air. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $19.00 in Gili Air. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $205 – making Gili Air the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇩 Gili Air

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

02:01 2:01 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,800

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Gili Air 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Gili Air

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 Gili Air: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $1,218 in Gili Air. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gili Air, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,208 in Phuket and $812 in Gili Air. That's a gap of about 49%.

Public transport costs about 233% less in Gili Air. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gili Air, where all-in costs run around $812, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Gili Air it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gili Air – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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