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Bali vs Phuket cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐ฉ Bali
๐น๐ญ Phuket
At a glance
- Where Phuket is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (21%โ)
- Where Bali is clearly cheaper: Transit (80%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (70%โ), Taxi (65%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Phuket is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: language โ Bali 2 vs Phuket 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bali | Phuket | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 35,000$2.15 | เธฟ 130$3.94 | Bali โ45% |
| Street food1 item | Rp 20,000$1.23 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | Bali โ49% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 175,000$10.7 | เธฟ 450$13.6 | Bali โ21% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 40,000$2.45 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 40,000$2.45 | เธฟ 110$3.33 | Bali โ26% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 120,000$7.36 | เธฟ 250$7.58 | similar |
| Bottled water | Rp 5,000$0.31 | เธฟ 12$0.36 | Bali โ16% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 10,000$0.61 | เธฟ 25$0.76 | Bali โ19% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 35,000$2.15 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Bali โ65% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 15,000$0.92 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Bali โ70% |
| Transitone ride | Rp 4,000$0.25 | เธฟ 40$1.21 | Bali โ80% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 75,000$4.6 | เธฟ 300$9.09 | Bali โ49% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 800,000$49.1 | เธฟ 2,000$60.6 | Bali โ19% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 10,000,000$613 | เธฟ 16,000$485 | Phuket โ21% |
| Laundry | Rp 15,000$0.92 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Bali โ39% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 150,000$9.2 | เธฟ 299$9.06 | similar |
| Haircutcut | Rp 60,000$3.68 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Bali โ19% |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 120,000$7.36 | เธฟ 350$10.6 | Bali โ31% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 500,000$30.7 | เธฟ 1,000$30.3 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 75,000$4.6 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Bali โ24% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bali or Phuket?
Bali is 14% cheaper than Phuket. Daily budget $78.6 vs $109; a month $2,107 vs $2,006.
Which is easier to travel, Bali or Phuket?
Phuket is easier: Phuket 2.8/5 vs Bali 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bali and Phuket?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bali is about $2,107 and Phuket about $2,006 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.