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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $974 in Gili Trawangan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,736 in Gili Trawangan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,499 in Gili Trawangan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Gili Trawangan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Gili Trawangan 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

88.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,562

$21.82 Rp 391.3K

112.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$3.34 Rp 60.0K

158.98%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$1.87 Rp 33.6K

65.24%

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

$0.68 ฿22.85

$0.88 Rp 15.8K

-22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.41

$0.46 Rp 8,219

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$1.94 Rp 34.8K

24.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$2.57 Rp 46.1K

48.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.38 Rp 24.7K

57.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.2

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

-5.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.3

$0.91 Rp 16.4K

139.56%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.3

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

24.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿671

$11.25 Rp 201.8K

77.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$3.35 Rp 60.1K

8.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$9.34 Rp 167.4K

45.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

18.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

36.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.6

$2.15 Rp 38.5K

8.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

19.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

5.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$1.75 Rp 31.4K

-14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.11

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

24.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.55 Rp 9,819

-12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

85.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$17.88 Rp 320.7K

4.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$2.12 Rp 37.9K

-15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$2.10 Rp 37.6K

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.81

$0.25 Rp 4,487

468.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$6.90 Rp 123.8K

64.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$0.41 Rp 7,374

653.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$0.39 Rp 6,949

166.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$5.25 Rp 94.2K

159.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.15

$0.69 Rp 12.4K

89.86%

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

$27.3K ฿919.1K

$22.1K Rp 395.6M

23.68%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.9K Rp 482.2M

23.56%

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

$123 ฿4,149

$67.8 Rp 1.2M

81.79%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$3.40 Rp 61.0K

306.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$20.73 Rp 371.8K

-10.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

$68.0 Rp 1.2M

-11.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

$4.60 Rp 82.6K

265.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$2.89 Rp 51.8K

207.61%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$218 Rp 3.9M

215.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿523.9K

$4,891 Rp 87.7M

217.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,942

$46.61 Rp 835.9K

23.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$33.32 Rp 597.5K

4.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,872

$75.6 Rp 1.4M

51.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,860

$67.1 Rp 1.2M

26.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$605 Rp 10.8M

2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$415 Rp 7.4M

6.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$2,097 Rp 37.6M

-2.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

$1,249 Rp 22.4M

20.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

$1,690 Rp 30.3M

111.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$1,364 Rp 24.5M

84.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.28

-59.86%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Gili Trawangan: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $605 in Gili Trawangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Gili Trawangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $229 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,461 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: $618 in Phuket versus $605 in Gili Trawangan. 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 $974 in Gili Trawangan versus $1,261 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 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.