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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,666 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,836 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $2,078 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,007 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $2,896 in Phuket.

Living in Uluwatu, Bali is roughly 32% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Uluwatu, Bali is 22% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.12 Rp 73.2K

$4.43 ฿145

-7.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.39 Rp 842.3K

$35.07 ฿1,151

35.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 Rp 115.8K

$8.96 ฿294

-27.34%

Cappuccino

$3.31 Rp 58.9K

$3.00 ฿98.4

10.33%

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

$2.02 Rp 36.0K

$0.77 ฿25.33

162.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 Rp 16.3K

$0.47 ฿15.44

95.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 Rp 57.0K

$2.40 ฿78.6

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 Rp 88.7K

$3.75 ฿123

33.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.9K

$1.82 ฿59.8

-10.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 Rp 42.9K

$1.42 ฿46.65

69.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 Rp 20.2K

$1.55 ฿50.8

-26.45%

Eggs

$2.19 Rp 38.9K

$2.13 ฿69.9

2.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.76 Rp 333.4K

$19.76 ฿648

-5.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 74.5K

$3.48 ฿114

20.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 Rp 229.7K

$11.09 ฿364

16.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 Rp 68.0K

$2.91 ฿95.5

31.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 29.1K

$1.66 ฿54.6

-1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Rp 41.9K

$2.27 ฿74.5

3.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 Rp 35.8K

$2.10 ฿68.8

-4.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.3K

$1.47 ฿48.24

31.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.0K

$1.41 ฿46.29

63.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.6K

$1.09 ฿35.78

-3.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 Rp 10.1K

$0.54 ฿17.58

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.40 Rp 42.7K

$4.48 ฿147

-46.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.92 Rp 442.9K

$18.72 ฿614

33.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 43.0K

$1.84 ฿60.4

31.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 Rp 51.4K

$2.95 ฿96.7

-2.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 Rp 6,089

$2.26 ฿74.1

-84.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.25 Rp 182.1K

$23.07 ฿757

-55.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 Rp 10.1K

$3.04 ฿99.9

-81.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 Rp 9,770

$1.09 ฿35.82

-49.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 Rp 48.3K

$3.82 ฿125

-28.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 Rp 16.6K

$1.49 ฿48.79

-36.91%

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

$30.5K Rp 542.2M

$27.4K ฿900.3K

11.17%

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

$39.0K Rp 693.6M

$27.5K ฿902.7K

41.83%

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

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

$102 ฿3,340

-11.79%

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

$7.09 Rp 125.9K

$11.28 ฿370

-37.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.96 Rp 372.6K

$17.75 ฿582

18.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 Rp 1.1M

$54.2 ฿1,777

19.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.20 Rp 376.7K

$10.96 ฿360

93.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 Rp 90.3K

$7.85 ฿258

-35.29%

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

$553 Rp 9.8M

$577 ฿18.9K

-4.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,521 Rp 115.9M

$11.6K ฿381.6K

-43.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 Rp 893.8K

$65.4 ฿2,144

-23.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.76 Rp 688.9K

$28.89 ฿948

34.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 Rp 1.6M

$99.1 ฿3,250

-11.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 Rp 1.6M

$90.3 ฿2,961

-2.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 Rp 26.8M

$756 ฿24.8K

99.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 Rp 16.5M

$487 ฿16.0K

91.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,796 Rp 85.3M

$2,085 ฿68.4K

130.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,333 Rp 41.5M

$1,207 ฿39.6K

93.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,772 Rp 67.0M

$3,591 ฿117.8K

5.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,051 Rp 54.2M

$2,610 ฿85.6K

16.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

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: August 16, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,505 in Uluwatu, Bali and $756 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Uluwatu, Bali vs $35.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $272 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,499 in Uluwatu, Bali and $1,891 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: $1,505 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $756 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $553 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $577 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Uluwatu, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,666 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 32% less than in Uluwatu, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.