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: $1,736 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,152 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,568 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Uluwatu, Bali is roughly 41% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Uluwatu, Bali is 30% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.33 Rp 74.5K

$4.63 ฿150

-6.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.42 Rp 661.5K

$46.84 ฿1,518

-17.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.11 Rp 105.3K

$8.84 ฿286

-30.88%

Cappuccino

$3.45 Rp 59.3K

$3.00 ฿97.1

15.00%

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

$1.67 Rp 28.8K

$0.74 ฿24.03

125.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 Rp 15.2K

$0.37 ฿11.84

137.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 Rp 60.9K

$2.44 ฿79.0

45.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 Rp 79.1K

$3.61 ฿117

27.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 Rp 30.9K

$2.26 ฿73.2

-20.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 Rp 44.2K

$1.84 ฿59.6

39.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 Rp 21.6K

$2.24 ฿72.7

-44.20%

Eggs

$2.53 Rp 43.6K

$2.32 ฿75.0

9.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.00 Rp 258.2K

$19.67 ฿637

-23.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.55 Rp 78.4K

$3.65 ฿118

24.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.59 Rp 216.8K

$13.10 ฿424

-3.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 Rp 67.8K

$3.39 ฿110

16.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.3K

$1.64 ฿53.2

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 48.8K

$2.41 ฿78.2

17.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 Rp 42.4K

$2.03 ฿65.7

21.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 Rp 36.2K

$1.56 ฿50.4

34.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 Rp 41.3K

$1.50 ฿48.49

60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$1.02 ฿33.19

3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 13.9K

$0.49 ฿15.85

65.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 Rp 58.8K

$4.45 ฿144

-23.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.50 Rp 421.9K

$18.88 ฿612

29.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 Rp 52.1K

$1.78 ฿57.5

69.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 49.9K

$2.75 ฿89.2

5.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 Rp 6,288

$1.40 ฿45.39

-73.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.50 Rp 180.8K

$11.48 ฿372

-8.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 Rp 10.5K

$3.12 ฿101

-80.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 Rp 9,153

$1.00 ฿32.37

-47.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 Rp 128.7K

$14.09 ฿456

-46.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 Rp 17.5K

$1.35 ฿43.78

-24.44%

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

$32.5K Rp 560.1M

$27.2K ฿880.7K

19.67%

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

$40.8K Rp 702.2M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

23.88%

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

$88.8 Rp 1.5M

$125 ฿4,049

-28.95%

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

$4.30 Rp 74.1K

$13.57 ฿440

-68.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.71 Rp 459.9K

$18.52 ฿600

44.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$114 Rp 2.0M

$61.5 ฿1,992

84.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.54 Rp 129.8K

$16.84 ฿546

-55.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.82 Rp 83.1K

$9.19 ฿298

-47.55%

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

$336 Rp 5.8M

$698 ฿22.6K

-51.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,640 Rp 131.6M

$15.6K ฿505.2K

-51.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 Rp 1.0M

$57.8 ฿1,872

4.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.13 Rp 725.4K

$35.24 ฿1,142

19.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 Rp 1.7M

$113 ฿3,665

-14.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.2 Rp 1.4M

$86.4 ฿2,799

-2.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 Rp 23.2M

$616 ฿20.0K

118.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 Rp 15.3M

$446 ฿14.5K

99.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,556 Rp 78.4M

$2,048 ฿66.3K

122.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,822 Rp 48.6M

$1,492 ฿48.3K

89.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,025 Rp 69.3M

$3,779 ฿122.4K

6.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,190 Rp 54.9M

$2,649 ฿85.8K

20.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,345 in Uluwatu, Bali and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Uluwatu, Bali vs $47 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $312 vs $292, 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 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,604 in Uluwatu, Bali and $1,847 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: $1,345 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $336 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Uluwatu, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

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.