Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 12% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

$4.70 ฿153

-24.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

$45.37 ฿1,482

-27.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.2K

$8.43 ฿275

-41.28%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

$2.93 ฿95.6

-7.51%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

$0.69 ฿22.40

94.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.37 ฿11.99

89.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

$2.41 ฿78.6

21.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

$3.72 ฿122

6.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

$2.23 ฿72.9

-18.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$1.83 ฿59.8

37.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

$2.17 ฿70.8

-46.54%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

$2.21 ฿72.3

11.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

$19.74 ฿645

-25.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

$3.63 ฿119

19.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

$13.53 ฿442

-10.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

$3.28 ฿107

17.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.61 ฿52.6

-3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

$2.41 ฿78.6

17.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$2.08 ฿68.1

12.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

$1.53 ฿49.93

24.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

$1.48 ฿48.36

48.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

$0.99 ฿32.29

2.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$0.51 ฿16.67

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

$4.41 ฿144

-24.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 428.0K

$19.38 ฿633

22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$1.78 ฿58.1

56.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

$2.71 ฿88.6

5.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,848

$1.37 ฿44.79

-80.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

$11.39 ฿372

-29.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,230

$3.02 ฿98.6

-84.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,116

$0.99 ฿32.48

-54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

$14.10 ฿461

-56.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$1.36 ฿44.51

-41.91%

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

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-7.28%

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

$32.1K Rp 579.2M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-2.38%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$122 ฿3,975

-34.31%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

$13.57 ฿443

-70.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 424.1K

$18.31 ฿598

28.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$60.2 ฿1,967

63.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

$17.14 ฿560

-61.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

$8.69 ฿284

-52.24%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$693 ฿22.6K

-56.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-57.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$59.5 ฿1,944

-6.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

$34.77 ฿1,136

10.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$115 ฿3,743

-22.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$83.3 ฿2,720

-6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.1M

$613 ฿20.0K

64.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.2M

$437 ฿14.3K

54.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

$2,094 ฿68.4K

64.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

$1,509 ฿49.3K

35.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-24.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-13.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$508 ฿16.6K

-67.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

5.33

149.16%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 207% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $293, 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

Ubud, Bali vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 207% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.