Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Uluwatu, Bali and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $1,675 in Uluwatu, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Uluwatu, Bali
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Uluwatu, Bali Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Uluwatu, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,675

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Uluwatu, Bali and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Uluwatu, Bali and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,675 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $1,190 in Phuket.

Uluwatu, Bali $1,675
Phuket $1,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,848 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $2,006 in Phuket.

Uluwatu, Bali $2,848
Phuket $2,006

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,020 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $2,822 in Phuket.

Uluwatu, Bali $4,020
Phuket $2,822

Living in Uluwatu, Bali is roughly 41% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Uluwatu, Bali is 25% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.95 Rp 70.7K

$4.35 ฿146

-9.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.45 Rp 758.8K

$32.45 ฿1,087

30.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.92 Rp 123.6K

$8.42 ฿282

-17.81%

Cappuccino

$3.22 Rp 57.5K

$2.81 ฿94.0

14.59%

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

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

$0.87 ฿29.29

129.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$0.46 ฿15.39

115.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 Rp 57.3K

$2.59 ฿86.6

23.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 Rp 95.4K

$3.64 ฿122

46.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.8K

$1.71 ฿57.2

-5.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.1K

$1.45 ฿48.42

58.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.7K

$1.56 ฿52.3

-18.59%

Eggs

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

$2.10 ฿70.3

7.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.24 Rp 326.1K

$19.53 ฿654

-6.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 Rp 72.7K

$3.40 ฿114

19.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 Rp 230.5K

$11.14 ฿373

15.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 65.4K

$2.83 ฿94.8

29.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 Rp 28.9K

$1.62 ฿54.3

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.8K

$2.22 ฿74.5

5.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 Rp 36.4K

$2.15 ฿71.9

-5.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.1K

$1.49 ฿49.95

32.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 Rp 43.6K

$1.33 ฿44.40

83.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

$1.07 ฿35.72

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,311

$0.51 ฿17.01

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.0K

$4.38 ฿147

-47.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.34 Rp 417.3K

$18.77 ฿629

24.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

$1.74 ฿58.3

36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 Rp 55.8K

$2.78 ฿92.9

12.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 Rp 5,786

$2.17 ฿72.6

-85.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.24 Rp 183.0K

$22.28 ฿746

-54.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 Rp 10.1K

$3.02 ฿101

-81.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 Rp 10.2K

$1.06 ฿35.43

-46.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$3.71 ฿124

-26.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 Rp 19.7K

$1.43 ฿47.88

-23.08%

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

$30.7K Rp 548.6M

$26.3K ฿882.1K

16.49%

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

$38.3K Rp 684.8M

$26.2K ฿877.3K

46.21%

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

$90.2 Rp 1.6M

$96.7 ฿3,236

-6.66%

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

$7.15 Rp 127.8K

$11.41 ฿382

-37.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.44 Rp 365.4K

$17.11 ฿573

19.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 Rp 1.2M

$52.8 ฿1,768

22.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.82 Rp 372.1K

$11.07 ฿371

88.08%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 Rp 91.1K

$7.65 ฿256

-33.33%

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

$556 Rp 9.9M

$555 ฿18.6K

0.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,498 Rp 116.2M

$11.3K ฿377.7K

-42.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 Rp 907.5K

$63.4 ฿2,123

-19.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.30 Rp 702.5K

$28.61 ฿958

37.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 Rp 1.6M

$96.7 ฿3,238

-8.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.7 Rp 1.5M

$88.6 ฿2,967

-4.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 Rp 27.2M

$735 ฿24.6K

107.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 Rp 16.6M

$458 ฿15.3K

102.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,862 Rp 86.9M

$2,102 ฿70.4K

131.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,353 Rp 42.1M

$1,187 ฿39.7K

98.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,679 Rp 65.8M

$3,493 ฿116.9K

5.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,038 Rp 54.3M

$2,491 ฿83.4K

21.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

5.57

147.40%

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

Last update for Uluwatu, Bali: October 4, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Uluwatu, Bali

$929 55.1%

Phuket

$458 38.1% 50.7% $471

Groceries & Markets

Uluwatu, Bali

$301 17.8%

Phuket

$268 22.3% 10.9% $33

Eating Out

Uluwatu, Bali

$130 7.7%

Phuket

$119 9.9% 8% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Uluwatu, Bali

$118 7%

Phuket

$125 10.4% 5.4% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Uluwatu, Bali

$118 7%

Phuket

$125 10.4% 6.3% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Uluwatu, Bali

$75 4.5%

Phuket

$68 5.7% 9.1% $6.9

Getting Around

Uluwatu, Bali

$15 0.9%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 163% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,523 in Uluwatu, Bali and $735 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Uluwatu, Bali vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Uluwatu, Bali

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

18:41 6:41 PM

17:41 5:41 PM

1 h behind Uluwatu, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,030 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Uluwatu, Bali Phuket 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Uluwatu, Bali
Phuket

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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,513 in Uluwatu, Bali and $1,785 in Phuket 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: $1,523 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $735 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $555 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Uluwatu, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,190 in Phuket versus $1,675 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.

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.

Safety-wise, Uluwatu, 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 41% less than in Uluwatu, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.