Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Cha-am

For one person, living is cheaper in Cha-am: $880 a month against $1,236 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Cha-am
Learn more

Cha-am Living Index

Jump to prices

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,236

/mo nomad

Cha-am

🇹🇭 Thailand

$880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Cha-am

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 Cha-am actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,236 per month in Bali vs $880 in Cha-am, rent included.

Bali $1,236
Cha-am $880

A couple spends around $2,086 per month in Bali vs $1,412 in Cha-am, rent included.

Bali $2,086
Cha-am $1,412

A family of three spends $2,937 per month in Bali vs $1,944 in Cha-am, rent included.

Bali $2,937
Cha-am $1,944

Bali costs about 40% more than Cha-am, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bali and Cha-am are more affordable than the global median – Bali 8% lower, Cha-am 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 Rp 49.6K

$3.29 ฿110

-16.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.80 Rp 534.8K

$22.60 ฿755

31.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 Rp 83.0K

$7.27 ฿243

-36.31%

Cappuccino

$2.32 Rp 41.6K

$2.04 ฿68.1

13.73%

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

$1.40 Rp 25.0K

$0.68 ฿22.66

105.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.4K

$0.34 ฿11.50

88.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

$2.36 ฿78.7

-7.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 Rp 64.3K

$3.00 ฿100

19.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

$1.78 ฿59.5

-16.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 Rp 39.7K

$1.49 ฿49.76

48.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.33 ฿44.43

-12.03%

Eggs

$2.02 Rp 36.3K

$1.95 ฿65.0

3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 Rp 296.4K

$12.47 ฿417

32.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 65.9K

$2.54 ฿85.0

44.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 Rp 209.3K

$10.20 ฿341

14.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 Rp 61.8K

$3.53 ฿118

-2.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.1K

$1.22 ฿40.86

19.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

$1.87 ฿62.5

19.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.7K

$1.75 ฿58.3

4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 Rp 32.1K

$1.76 ฿59.0

1.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.8K

$1.09 ฿36.28

108.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.7K

$1.16 ฿38.80

-14.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,157

$0.45 ฿15.07

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 Rp 38.6K

$4.31 ฿144

-50.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.44 Rp 384.7K

$17.71 ฿592

21.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 Rp 41.0K

$1.73 ฿57.8

32.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$2.96 ฿99.0

-3.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,698

$0.92 ฿30.63

-71.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.97 Rp 143.0K

$22.26 ฿744

-64.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,619

$1.37 ฿45.80

-64.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,681

$1.07 ฿35.67

-59.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 101.3K

$3.62 ฿121

55.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

$1.40 ฿46.86

-41.43%

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

$23.7K Rp 425.2M

$16.4K ฿546.9K

44.80%

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

$31.7K Rp 569.5M

$27.1K ฿905.9K

17.09%

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

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

$82.1 ฿2,744

-0.94%

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

$6.53 Rp 117.2K

$11.41 ฿381

-42.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 Rp 328.6K

$23.66 ฿791

-22.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 Rp 840.7K

$23.81 ฿796

96.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 Rp 270.0K

$5.81 ฿194

159.04%

Cinema Ticket

$3.69 Rp 66.2K

$6.65 ฿222

-44.51%

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

$445 Rp 8.0M

$609 ฿20.4K

-26.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,218 Rp 93.6M

$11.0K ฿368.4K

-52.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.66 Rp 765.4K

$50.1 ฿1,675

-14.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 Rp 599.3K

$29.35 ฿981

13.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

$70.5 ฿2,357

6.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

$52.6 ฿1,758

40.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 Rp 17.9M

$373 ฿12.5K

167.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 Rp 10.7M

$273 ฿9,109

118.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 Rp 54.8M

$750 ฿25.1K

307.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 Rp 27.1M

$643 ฿21.5K

134.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 Rp 43.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 Rp 35.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$220 Rp 4.0M

$351 ฿11.7K

-37.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

5.96

131.21%

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

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cha-am: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$596 48.2%

Cha-am

$273 31% 54.3% $324

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$277 22.4%

Cha-am

$235 26.7% 15% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$106 8.6%

Cha-am

$117 13.3% 10.4% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.2%

Cha-am

$91 10.4% 9.9% $10

Eating Out

Bali

$90 7.3%

Cha-am

$94 10.7% 4.9% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$54 4.4%

Cha-am

$37 4.2% 31.6% $17

Getting Around

Bali

$12 0.9%

Cha-am

$33 3.7% 180% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $996 in Bali versus $373 in Cha-am. 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 59% higher in Cha-am, 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 $23.00 in Cha-am. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $235 – making Cha-am the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇹🇭 Cha-am

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

02:49 2:49 AM

1 h behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,354

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.96 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 17,943 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD). 1 EUR = 20,174 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.96 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bali Cha-am 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Cha-am

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 Cha-am: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 40% more than Cha-am, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,854 per month in Bali and $1,320 in Cha-am. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cha-am, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Bali and $23.00 in Cha-am. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,236 in Bali and $880 in Cha-am. That's a gap of about 40%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cha-am, where all-in costs run around $880, than in Bali at $1,236. In Cha-am it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cha-am costs $880 versus $1,236 in Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Cha-am. 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.