Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Seminyak, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,589 in Seminyak, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Seminyak, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Seminyak, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,589
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Seminyak, 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 Seminyak, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,589 in Seminyak, Bali.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Seminyak, Bali $1,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $2,720 in Seminyak, Bali.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Seminyak, Bali $2,720

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $3,852 in Seminyak, Bali.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Seminyak, Bali $3,852

Living in Phuket costs roughly 24% less than in Seminyak, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Seminyak, Bali is 17% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿147
$3.81 Rp 68.5K
15.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,078
$41.81 Rp 752.6K
-22.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿293
$6.50 Rp 117.0K
34.77%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿94.5
$3.10 Rp 55.8K
-8.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.14
$2.01 Rp 36.2K
-55.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.56
$0.90 Rp 16.2K
-47.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿85.2
$3.03 Rp 54.6K
-15.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$5.24 Rp 94.4K
-26.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$1.58 Rp 28.4K
9.49%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.11
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
-35.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$1.26 Rp 22.7K
19.84%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$2.15 Rp 38.7K
0.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿658
$18.28 Rp 329.1K
7.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿112
$4.05 Rp 72.9K
-17.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿373
$12.52 Rp 225.4K
-10.86%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿95.1
$3.71 Rp 66.7K
-23.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿56.9
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
6.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.3
$2.43 Rp 43.8K
-9.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.4
$2.03 Rp 36.5K
0.99%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿48.57
$1.92 Rp 34.6K
-24.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.16
$2.52 Rp 45.4K
-45.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.69
$1.04 Rp 18.7K
2.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.91
$0.53 Rp 9,477
-3.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
86.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿621
$23.29 Rp 419.2K
-20.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿59.7
$2.47 Rp 44.5K
-27.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.2
$3.03 Rp 54.5K
-5.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿75.6
$0.27 Rp 4,815
737.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿738
$9.17 Rp 165.1K
141.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿101
$0.51 Rp 9,205
490.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.34
$0.51 Rp 9,140
107.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿129
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
42.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.45
$0.94 Rp 17.0K
54.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.9K
$27.9K Rp 502.3M
-5.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿900.4K
$37.1K Rp 668.0M
-27.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,221
$84.9 Rp 1.5M
13.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿369
$6.62 Rp 119.2K
66.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿573
$19.11 Rp 344.0K
-10.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,744
$61.8 Rp 1.1M
-15.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿373
$20.59 Rp 370.6K
-45.80%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿261
$4.82 Rp 86.8K
62.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.6K
$531 Rp 9.6M
4.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿387.0K
$6,238 Rp 112.3M
85.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,146
$46.78 Rp 842.0K
37.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿959
$37.20 Rp 669.6K
-22.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,187
$82.0 Rp 1.5M
16.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,940
$81.7 Rp 1.5M
7.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
$1,404 Rp 25.3M
-47.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.5K
$858 Rp 15.4M
-46.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.0K
$4,460 Rp 80.3M
-53.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.1K
$2,179 Rp 39.2M
-44.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿116.6K
$3,488 Rp 62.8M
-0.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿84.3K
$2,898 Rp 52.2M
-12.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Seminyak, Bali
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 Seminyak, Bali: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Seminyak, Bali
$858 85.6% $396
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Seminyak, Bali
$299 11.3% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Seminyak, Bali
$111 11.2% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Seminyak, Bali
$111 10.3% $13
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Seminyak, Bali
$124 2.6% $3.2
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Seminyak, Bali
$71 5.4% $3.7
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Seminyak, Bali
$13 66.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $1,404 in Seminyak, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Seminyak, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $299 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇮🇩 Seminyak, Bali
🕒 Local time
06:52 6:52 AM
07:52 7:52 AM
1 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
5,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 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 21, 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 Seminyak, Bali 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Seminyak, 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 Seminyak, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Seminyak, Bali cheaper than Phuket?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 31% 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 $2,383 in Seminyak, Bali 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 Seminyak, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $1,404 in Seminyak, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $531 in Seminyak, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Seminyak, Bali?
Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Seminyak, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Seminyak, Bali?
At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,589 in Seminyak, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Seminyak, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Seminyak, Bali more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seminyak, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Seminyak, Bali?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Seminyak, Bali 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Seminyak, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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