Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Bangkok

For one person, living is cheaper in Bangkok: $1,144 a month against $1,224 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $960 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,224
/mo nomad
Bangkok
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,144
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Bangkok

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bali and in Bangkok actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,224 per month in Bali vs $1,144 in Bangkok, rent included.

  • Bali $1,224
  • Bangkok $1,144

A couple spends around $2,064 per month in Bali vs $1,806 in Bangkok, rent included.

  • Bali $2,064
  • Bangkok $1,806

A family of three spends $2,904 per month in Bali vs $2,467 in Bangkok, rent included.

  • Bali $2,904
  • Bangkok $2,467

Bali costs about 7% more than Bangkok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bali and Bangkok are more affordable than the global median – Bali 9% lower, Bangkok 15% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bali
Bangkok
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.74 Rp 49.0K
$2.95 ฿98.7
-7.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.64 Rp 529.8K
$36.28 ฿1,215
-18.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.74 Rp 84.7K
$6.83 ฿229
-30.60%
Cappuccino
$2.22 Rp 39.7K
$2.73 ฿91.3
-18.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 Rp 24.5K
$0.63 ฿21.24
117.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 Rp 11.8K
$0.36 ฿12.18
83.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.21 Rp 39.4K
$2.61 ฿87.4
-15.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.62 Rp 64.7K
$4.48 ฿150
-19.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bali
Bangkok
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 Rp 25.8K
$1.90 ฿63.7
-24.21%
White Bread (500g)
$2.17 Rp 38.7K
$1.52 ฿50.8
42.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.12 Rp 20.0K
$1.43 ฿47.72
-21.68%
Eggs
$1.97 Rp 35.2K
$2.49 ฿83.2
-20.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.41 Rp 293.2K
$17.59 ฿589
-6.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.63 Rp 65.0K
$3.64 ฿122
-0.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.53 Rp 206.2K
$13.19 ฿442
-12.59%
Apples (1kg)
$3.37 Rp 60.2K
$4.01 ฿134
-15.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 Rp 26.0K
$1.76 ฿58.9
-17.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.15 Rp 38.4K
$2.78 ฿93.1
-22.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.90 Rp 34.0K
$1.88 ฿62.8
1.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.80 Rp 32.2K
$1.74 ฿58.4
3.45%
Onion (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.0K
$1.56 ฿52.1
43.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.94 Rp 16.8K
$1.29 ฿43.30
-27.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 Rp 8,577
$0.52 ฿17.36
-7.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.14 Rp 38.2K
$4.66 ฿156
-54.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.94 Rp 392.2K
$15.07 ฿505
45.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 40.4K
$1.84 ฿61.8
22.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 Rp 49.6K
$3.30 ฿111
-16.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Bali
Bangkok
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 Rp 4,661
$1.10 ฿36.98
-76.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.08 Rp 144.4K
$35.25 ฿1,180
-77.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,853
$1.06 ฿35.33
-58.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.42 Rp 7,491
$1.21 ฿40.64
-65.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.66 Rp 101.1K
$6.01 ฿201
-5.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.90 Rp 16.0K
$1.36 ฿45.63
-33.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.2K Rp 433.4M
$31.0K ฿1.0M
-21.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.5K Rp 563.1M
$26.7K ฿892.4K
18.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
Bangkok
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.1 Rp 1.4M
$106 ฿3,565
-24.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.63 Rp 118.5K
$14.72 ฿493
-54.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.33 Rp 327.6K
$17.94 ฿601
2.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bali
Bangkok
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.56 Rp 814.4K
$57.8 ฿1,936
-21.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.24 Rp 272.4K
$18.80 ฿629
-18.94%
Cinema Ticket
$3.71 Rp 66.4K
$7.46 ฿250
-50.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bali
Bangkok
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$442 Rp 7.9M
$579 ฿19.4K
-23.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,246 Rp 93.8M
$16.3K ฿544.6K
-67.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bali
Bangkok
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.18 Rp 789.6K
$69.7 ฿2,335
-36.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.13 Rp 610.1K
$42.48 ฿1,422
-19.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.2 Rp 1.4M
$97.8 ฿3,273
-21.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.0 Rp 1.3M
$108 ฿3,606
-30.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bali
Bangkok
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$994 Rp 17.8M
$664 ฿22.2K
49.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$588 Rp 10.5M
$342 ฿11.5K
71.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,084 Rp 55.1M
$1,977 ฿66.2K
56.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,496 Rp 26.7M
$744 ฿24.9K
101.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,383 Rp 42.6M
$5,940 ฿198.9K
-59.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,015 Rp 36.0M
$3,098 ฿103.7K
-34.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bali
Bangkok
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$223 Rp 4.0M
$626 ฿20.9K
-64.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
5.25
162.48%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bali: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bangkok: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bali
$588
Bangkok
$342 41.8% $246
Groceries & Markets
Bali
$274
Bangkok
$277 1.1% $3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
$105
Bangkok
$139 32.5% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Bali
$104
Bangkok
$143 37.8% $39
Eating Out
Bali
$89
Bangkok
$103 15.3% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Bali
$53
Bangkok
$73 37.3% $20
Getting Around
Bali
$12
Bangkok
$47 302% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Bali versus $664 in Bangkok. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 180% higher in Bangkok, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Bali versus $36.00 in Bangkok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $277 – making Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bali
🇹🇭 Bangkok
🕒 Local time
09:56 9:56 AM
08:56 8:56 AM
1 h behind Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,666,264 Capital
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bali Bangkok 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bali
  • Bangkok

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Bali vs Bangkok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bali or Bangkok?
Bali costs about 7% more than Bangkok, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Bali and in Bangkok?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,836 per month in Bali and $1,717 in Bangkok. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Bali or Bangkok?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bangkok, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Bali and in Bangkok?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Bali and $36.00 in Bangkok. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Bali compared to Bangkok?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,224 in Bali and $1,144 in Bangkok. That's a gap of about 7%.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Bali or in Bangkok?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bangkok, where all-in costs run around $1,144, than in Bali at $1,224. In Bangkok it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bali or Bangkok?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bangkok costs $1,144 versus $1,224 in Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Bali compared to Bangkok?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Bali or to Bangkok?
If budget matters most, go with Bangkok. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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