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: $1,744 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,142 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,540 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Uluwatu, Bali is roughly 38% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Uluwatu, Bali is 30% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.17 Rp 74.7K

$4.56 ฿149

-8.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.98 Rp 698.4K

$46.63 ฿1,519

-16.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 Rp 106.2K

$8.47 ฿276

-29.99%

Cappuccino

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$3.03 ฿98.6

8.58%

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

$1.66 Rp 29.8K

$0.69 ฿22.45

140.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 Rp 16.0K

$0.37 ฿11.92

140.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 Rp 63.0K

$2.49 ฿81.0

41.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 Rp 82.5K

$3.66 ฿119

25.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 Rp 33.6K

$2.18 ฿71.0

-13.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 Rp 47.7K

$1.90 ฿62.0

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.4K

$2.20 ฿71.6

-45.91%

Eggs

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$2.22 ฿72.4

11.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 Rp 270.3K

$19.99 ฿651

-24.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.40 Rp 78.9K

$3.66 ฿119

20.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.47 Rp 223.5K

$13.25 ฿432

-5.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 Rp 69.7K

$3.23 ฿105

20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 Rp 30.2K

$1.70 ฿55.3

-0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$2.39 ฿78.0

17.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 Rp 43.2K

$2.08 ฿67.7

15.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 Rp 36.1K

$1.59 ฿51.8

27.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 Rp 42.4K

$1.48 ฿48.31

59.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 Rp 19.3K

$1.03 ฿33.54

4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

$0.52 ฿16.83

55.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 Rp 62.1K

$4.25 ฿138

-18.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.07 Rp 431.3K

$18.79 ฿612

28.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.2K

$1.76 ฿57.2

68.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 Rp 51.1K

$2.76 ฿89.8

3.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 Rp 5,990

$1.36 ฿44.32

-75.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.26 Rp 183.9K

$11.36 ฿370

-9.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 Rp 11.0K

$3.14 ฿102

-80.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 Rp 9,557

$1.04 ฿33.74

-49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.86 Rp 140.7K

$13.77 ฿448

-42.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 Rp 18.4K

$1.34 ฿43.79

-23.13%

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

$32.7K Rp 585.0M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

17.97%

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

$39.5K Rp 708.5M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

16.79%

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

$86.4 Rp 1.5M

$124 ฿4,025

-30.10%

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

$4.38 Rp 78.5K

$13.52 ฿440

-67.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.99 Rp 465.7K

$18.69 ฿609

39.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$113 Rp 2.0M

$61.8 ฿2,013

82.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.77 Rp 139.1K

$17.25 ฿562

-54.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.82 Rp 86.4K

$9.14 ฿298

-47.26%

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

$339 Rp 6.1M

$703 ฿22.9K

-51.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,366 Rp 132.0M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-53.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 Rp 1.0M

$59.5 ฿1,937

-1.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.81 Rp 749.0K

$35.07 ฿1,142

19.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 Rp 1.7M

$115 ฿3,754

-17.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 Rp 1.6M

$84.1 ฿2,737

2.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 Rp 24.6M

$619 ฿20.1K

122.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 Rp 16.5M

$433 ฿14.1K

112.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,635 Rp 83.0M

$2,062 ฿67.2K

124.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 Rp 50.2M

$1,511 ฿49.2K

85.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,664 Rp 65.6M

$3,646 ฿118.7K

0.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,073 Rp 55.1M

$2,626 ฿85.5K

17.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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 Uluwatu, Bali: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,375 in Uluwatu, Bali and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Uluwatu, Bali vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $311 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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,615 in Uluwatu, Bali and $1,892 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: $1,375 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $339 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Uluwatu, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,744 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 38% less than in Uluwatu, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.