🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,736 in Uluwatu, Bali.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $3,152 in Uluwatu, Bali.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $4,568 in Uluwatu, Bali.
🙂Living in Phuket costs roughly 29% less than in Uluwatu, Bali, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Uluwatu, Bali is 30% above.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63฿150
$4.33Rp 74.5K
6.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84฿1,518
$38.42Rp 661.5K
21.92%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.84฿286
$6.11Rp 105.3K
44.68%
Cappuccino
$3.00฿97.1
$3.45Rp 59.3K
-13.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74฿24.03
$1.67Rp 28.8K
-55.69%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.84
$0.88Rp 15.2K
-57.95%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.44฿79.0
$3.54Rp 60.9K
-31.07%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61฿117
$4.59Rp 79.1K
-21.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.26฿73.2
$1.80Rp 30.9K
25.56%
White Bread(500g)
$1.84฿59.6
$2.57Rp 44.2K
-28.40%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24฿72.7
$1.25Rp 21.6K
79.20%
Eggs
$2.32฿75.0
$2.53Rp 43.6K
-8.30%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.67฿637
$15.00Rp 258.2K
31.13%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65฿118
$4.55Rp 78.4K
-19.78%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.10฿424
$12.59Rp 216.8K
4.05%
Apples(1kg)
$3.39฿110
$3.94Rp 67.8K
-13.96%
Banana(1kg)
$1.64฿53.2
$1.64Rp 28.3K
-
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41฿78.2
$2.83Rp 48.8K
-14.84%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.03฿65.7
$2.46Rp 42.4K
-17.48%
Potato(1kg)
$1.56฿50.4
$2.10Rp 36.2K
-25.71%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50฿48.49
$2.40Rp 41.3K
-37.50%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.02฿33.19
$1.06Rp 18.3K
-3.77%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49฿15.85
$0.81Rp 13.9K
-39.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45฿144
$3.41Rp 58.8K
30.50%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.88฿612
$24.50Rp 421.9K
-22.94%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78฿57.5
$3.02Rp 52.1K
-41.06%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75฿89.2
$2.90Rp 49.9K
-5.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.40฿45.39
$0.37Rp 6,288
278.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.48฿372
$10.50Rp 180.8K
9.33%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.12฿101
$0.61Rp 10.5K
411.48%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.00฿32.37
$0.53Rp 9,153
88.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.09฿456
$7.47Rp 128.7K
88.62%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.35฿43.78
$1.02Rp 17.5K
32.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K฿880.7K
$32.5KRp 560.1M
-16.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K฿1.1M
$40.8KRp 702.2M
-19.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$125฿4,049
$88.8Rp 1.5M
40.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57฿440
$4.30Rp 74.1K
215.58%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52฿600
$26.71Rp 459.9K
-30.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.5฿1,992
$114Rp 2.0M
-45.89%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84฿546
$7.54Rp 129.8K
123.34%
Cinema Ticket
$9.19฿298
$4.82Rp 83.1K
90.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$698฿22.6K
$336Rp 5.8M
107.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.6K฿505.2K
$7,640Rp 131.6M
104.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8฿1,872
$60.6Rp 1.0M
-4.64%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24฿1,142
$42.13Rp 725.4K
-16.35%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$113฿3,665
$96.7Rp 1.7M
17.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4฿2,799
$84.2Rp 1.4M
2.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$616฿20.0K
$1,345Rp 23.2M
-54.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$446฿14.5K
$890Rp 15.3M
-49.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,048฿66.3K
$4,556Rp 78.4M
-55.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,492฿48.3K
$2,822Rp 48.6M
-47.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,779฿122.4K
$4,025Rp 69.3M
-6.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,649฿85.8K
$3,190Rp 54.9M
-16.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$524฿17.0K
-
-
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: April 27, 2026
Last update for Uluwatu, Bali: April 28, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $1,345 in Uluwatu, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $47 in Phuket vs $38 in Uluwatu, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $312, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.
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 Uluwatu, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Uluwatu, Bali cheaper than Phuket?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $2,604 in Uluwatu, 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 Uluwatu, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $1,345 in Uluwatu, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $336 in Uluwatu, 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 Uluwatu, Bali?
Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Uluwatu, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or Uluwatu, Bali?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,736 in Uluwatu, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Uluwatu, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Uluwatu, Bali more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Uluwatu, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Uluwatu, Bali?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Uluwatu, 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 41% less than in Uluwatu, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.