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Cost of Living: Bali vs Phuket (2026)

Indonesia vs Thailand — relocation comparison

Your passport:
63
Livability Score
🇮🇩 Bali
Indonesia
Full profile
58
Livability Score
🇹🇭 Phuket
Thailand
Full profile
Bali
Phuket
$1082/mo
Rent
$708/mo
63/100
Livability
58/100
70/100
Safety
49/100
52/100
Healthcare
71/100
5 yr
PR path
3 yr
36 Mbps
Internet
UMKM
Freelance setup

No local IBAN · No local IBAN

No freelance status for foreigners

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRPhuket is 35% cheaper on rent ($708/mo vs $1082/mo). Thailand gets you to permanent residency 2 years faster (3 vs 5 years). Neither city will test your commitment to owning a coat.
Bali edges ahead 63 to 58. Phuket isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.
Household
Bali
Metric
Phuket
$1082/mo
🏠
Rent (1BR centre)
$708/mo
$268/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
$368/mo
$2,914
🧳
Cost to land
$2,874
0.3 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
4.8 / 100k
51 / 100
🚨
Crime perception
lower is better
29°C
☀️
Summer high
31°C
25°C
❄️
Winter low
24°C
36 Mbps
Internet speed
20 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
9.1 μg/m³
6.4 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
6.3 / 10
25/100
🗣️
Street English
7/100
$16k
💼
GDP per capita
$25k
2.2% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
1.4% · Boringly steady
63 / 100
🏅
Livability Score
58 / 100
60/100 — Patchy
Grid reliability
56/100
🗽
Freedom House
5 years
📋
Time to PR
3 years

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰
Cost of Living
Phuket
$374/mo cheaper on rent alone
🔒
Safety
Bali
0.3 homicides per 100k
🗣️
English
Bali
higher proficiency score
📋
Residency
Phuket
PR in 3 years

Settler Essentials

stable
Democracy trend
stable
stable
Inflation trend
declining
tourismhospitalitydigital-nomadsurfing-culture
Industries
nascent
Startup ecosystem
60/100
Grid reliability
5 yrs
Time to PR
3 yrs
Easy
🇺🇸 Your visa
Complex
Easy
EU visa
Complex
Easy
RU visa
Complex
Easy
UA visa
Complex
Partner cannot work on this visa
Spouse works

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · IEA · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

Life-threatening only
Abortion access
On request
14 wk
Gestational limit
12 wk

Only for life-threatening emergencies or rape victims (up to 14 weeks). Highly restricted otherwise.

On request up to 12 weeks since 2021. Between 12-20 weeks with counseling.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

The Short Version

  • Rent is 35% cheaper in Phuket ($708/mo vs $1082/mo for a 1BR city centre).
  • Summers are slightly warmer in Phuket (31°C vs 29°C).
  • Bali is safer by homicide rate (0.3 vs 4.8 per 100k).
  • Street-level English is easier in Bali (25/100 vs 7/100).

Bali vs Phuket — Common Questions

Is Bali cheaper than Phuket?

Phuket is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $708/month in Phuket vs $1082/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Bali or Phuket?

Bali is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Bali has a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 and Phuket has 4.79 per 100,000.

Should I move to Bali or Phuket?

Bali edges ahead 63 to 58. Phuket isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Bali or Phuket?

Bali: Indonesia Second Home Visa (complex process, 5 or 10 years). Phuket: no specific remote work visa. See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Can I live in Bali or Phuket without speaking the local language?

Bali is easier for street-level English (25/100) than Phuket (7/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Bali vs Phuket?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $708/month in Phuket, $1082/month in Bali (Numbeo). That's 35% cheaper rent in Phuket.

Is healthcare better in Bali or Phuket?

Phuket scores higher on our composite healthcare index (71/100 vs 52/100 for Bali). That score combines clinical outcomes (IHME), universal coverage (WHO), and resident perception (Numbeo) — not just whether hospitals exist but whether the system actually works for settlers.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

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