Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gili Trawangan

For one person, living is cheaper in Gili Trawangan: $948 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Gili Trawangan
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$948
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $948 in Gili Trawangan.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Gili Trawangan $948

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,580 in Gili Trawangan.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Gili Trawangan $1,580

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,213 in Gili Trawangan.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Gili Trawangan $2,213

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than in Gili Trawangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Gili Trawangan 30% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿147
$2.24 Rp 40.3K
96.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,078
$23.76 Rp 427.7K
35.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿293
$3.74 Rp 67.4K
134.22%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿94.5
$1.83 Rp 32.9K
54.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.14
$1.09 Rp 19.7K
-17.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.56
$0.55 Rp 9,840
-14.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿85.2
$1.76 Rp 31.7K
44.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$2.99 Rp 53.8K
28.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$1.16 Rp 20.8K
49.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.11
$1.75 Rp 31.6K
-16.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$0.94 Rp 17.0K
60.64%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
32.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿658
$13.01 Rp 234.2K
51.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿112
$2.99 Rp 53.9K
11.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿373
$9.03 Rp 162.6K
23.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿95.1
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
5.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿56.9
$1.16 Rp 20.8K
46.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.3
$1.77 Rp 31.9K
23.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.4
$1.45 Rp 26.2K
41.38%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿48.57
$1.37 Rp 24.7K
5.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.16
$1.76 Rp 31.7K
-21.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.69
$0.74 Rp 13.4K
44.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.91
$0.41 Rp 7,341
24.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$1.73 Rp 31.1K
146.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿621
$17.33 Rp 311.9K
7.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿59.7
$1.75 Rp 31.6K
1.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.2
$2.22 Rp 40.0K
28.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Gili Trawangan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿75.6
$0.21 Rp 3,778
976.19%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿738
$7.14 Rp 128.5K
209.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿101
$0.40 Rp 7,268
652.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.34
$0.37 Rp 6,649
186.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿129
$5.09 Rp 91.6K
-24.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.45
$0.68 Rp 12.3K
113.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.9K
$20.6K Rp 370.8M
27.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿900.4K
$28.0K Rp 503.7M
-3.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,221
$69.7 Rp 1.3M
38.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿369
$5.49 Rp 98.9K
101.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿573
$15.46 Rp 278.3K
10.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,744
$39.13 Rp 704.3K
33.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿373
$12.90 Rp 232.3K
-13.49%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿261
$3.09 Rp 55.6K
152.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.6K
$347 Rp 6.3M
59.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿387.0K
$4,182 Rp 75.3M
176.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,146
$38.51 Rp 693.1K
66.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿959
$30.37 Rp 546.7K
-5.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,187
$66.6 Rp 1.2M
43.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,940
$67.8 Rp 1.2M
29.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Gili Trawangan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
$677 Rp 12.2M
8.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.5K
$419 Rp 7.5M
10.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.0K
$2,150 Rp 38.7M
-2.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.1K
$1,042 Rp 18.8M
15.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿116.6K
$1,665 Rp 30.0M
109.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿84.3K
$1,371 Rp 24.7M
84.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Gili Trawangan
Difference
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 Trawangan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Gili Trawangan
$419 9.4% $43
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Gili Trawangan
$219 18.6% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Gili Trawangan
$91 27.2% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Gili Trawangan
$92 26.4% $33
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Gili Trawangan
$72 40.3% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Gili Trawangan
$45 33.2% $22
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Gili Trawangan
$10 74.1% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $677 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 $269 vs $219 per month, with Gili Trawangan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇮🇩 Gili Trawangan
🕒 Local time
10:50 10:50 AM
11:50 11:50 AM
1 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
1,500
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 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 25, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Gili Trawangan 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Gili Trawangan

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 Trawangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gili Trawangan cheaper than Phuket?
Gili Trawangan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,813 in Phuket and $1,422 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Gili Trawangan?
Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $677 in Gili Trawangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Gili Trawangan?
Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Gili Trawangan?
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.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Gili Trawangan?
At $948 in Gili Trawangan versus $1,208 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.
Is Phuket or Gili Trawangan more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Gili Trawangan?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Gili Trawangan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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