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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $970 in Gili Trawangan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,619 in Gili Trawangan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,268 in Gili Trawangan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Gili Trawangan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Gili Trawangan 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$2.29 Rp 40.4K

103.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,059

$24.20 Rp 426.2K

33.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿285

$3.80 Rp 66.8K

128.42%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.3

$1.78 Rp 31.3K

62.92%

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

$0.84 ฿27.75

$1.22 Rp 21.4K

-31.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.53 Rp 9,330

-7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.6

$1.96 Rp 34.6K

26.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.96 Rp 52.1K

26.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.0

$1.23 Rp 21.7K

53.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.31

$1.71 Rp 30.1K

-17.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.3

$0.83 Rp 14.6K

95.18%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.7

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

39.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿652

$13.40 Rp 236.0K

48.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$3.08 Rp 54.2K

12.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿374

$9.12 Rp 160.6K

24.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.3

$2.73 Rp 48.1K

6.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.7

$1.24 Rp 21.8K

38.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.7

$1.79 Rp 31.6K

26.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.1

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

36.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.49

$1.45 Rp 25.5K

1.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.69

$1.86 Rp 32.7K

-23.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.08

$0.80 Rp 14.1K

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.66

$0.39 Rp 6,814

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$1.69 Rp 29.8K

155.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿612

$17.38 Rp 306.1K

7.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.2

$1.76 Rp 31.0K

2.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.5

$2.24 Rp 39.5K

32.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.8

$0.21 Rp 3,698

971.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿772

$7.10 Rp 125.0K

230.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.41 Rp 7,291

656.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.39

$0.40 Rp 7,096

170.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$5.19 Rp 91.3K

-25.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.93

$0.68 Rp 12.1K

110.29%

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

$27.8K ฿913.6K

$21.2K Rp 372.9M

31.22%

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

$27.0K ฿887.2K

$26.6K Rp 468.7M

1.40%

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

$105 ฿3,446

$71.3 Rp 1.3M

46.98%

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

$11.39 ฿375

$5.47 Rp 96.4K

108.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿577

$15.78 Rp 278.0K

11.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,787

$40.33 Rp 710.4K

34.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿376

$12.84 Rp 226.2K

-10.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿256

$3.17 Rp 55.8K

145.43%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$353 Rp 6.2M

63.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿380.8K

$4,175 Rp 73.5M

177.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,092

$39.31 Rp 692.4K

61.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿957

$30.24 Rp 532.6K

-3.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,164

$69.9 Rp 1.2M

37.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,960

$68.7 Rp 1.2M

30.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$693 Rp 12.2M

5.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$414 Rp 7.3M

20.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿69.9K

$2,186 Rp 38.5M

-2.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.2K

$1,071 Rp 18.9M

16.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.2K

$1,705 Rp 30.0M

107.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.2K

$1,384 Rp 24.4M

89.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Gili Trawangan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $693 in Gili Trawangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Gili Trawangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $222 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

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

Gili Trawangan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,455 in Gili Trawangan 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: $733 in Phuket versus $693 in Gili Trawangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% 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 $24.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $970 in Gili Trawangan versus $1,265 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, Phuket and Gili Trawangan 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 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.