Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Sakon Nakhon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakon Nakhon: $847 a month against $1,229 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Sakon Nakhon
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Sakon Nakhon Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,229

/mo nomad

Sakon Nakhon

🇹🇭 Thailand

$847

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Sakon Nakhon

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 Sakon Nakhon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,229 per month in Bali vs $847 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

Bali $1,229
Sakon Nakhon $847

A couple spends around $2,053 per month in Bali vs $1,403 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

Bali $2,053
Sakon Nakhon $1,403

A family of three spends $2,877 per month in Bali vs $1,958 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

Bali $2,877
Sakon Nakhon $1,958

Bali costs about 45% more than Sakon Nakhon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bali and Sakon Nakhon are more affordable than the global median – Bali 9% lower, Sakon Nakhon 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 Rp 49.5K

$1.51 ฿50.5

82.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.09 Rp 523.7K

$14.73 ฿492

97.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.66 Rp 83.9K

$2.98 ฿99.6

56.38%

Cappuccino

$2.31 Rp 41.5K

$1.47 ฿49.00

57.14%

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

$1.42 Rp 25.6K

$0.68 ฿22.56

108.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.4K

$0.27 ฿9.11

137.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

$2.15 ฿71.9

3.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 Rp 64.9K

$2.13 ฿71.3

69.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 Rp 25.8K

$2.42 ฿80.8

-40.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 Rp 38.0K

$1.33 ฿44.46

58.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

$1.17 ฿39.16

-1.71%

Eggs

$1.96 Rp 35.3K

$2.21 ฿74.0

-11.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.38 Rp 294.8K

$10.53 ฿352

55.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.7K

$2.59 ฿86.4

39.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 Rp 210.6K

$10.42 ฿348

12.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 Rp 62.7K

$3.21 ฿107

8.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.4K

$1.06 ฿35.28

37.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

$2.23 ฿74.6

-0.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.3K

$1.88 ฿62.9

1.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 Rp 30.9K

$1.47 ฿49.16

17.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

$1.45 ฿48.43

51.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 17.9K

$0.50 ฿16.72

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,256

$0.49 ฿16.33

4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.08 Rp 37.4K

$4.24 ฿142

-50.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.20 Rp 381.6K

$17.95 ฿600

18.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 Rp 39.2K

$1.65 ฿55.1

32.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 51.9K

$2.90 ฿96.8

-0.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,137

$0.87 ฿29.04

-73.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.27 Rp 148.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,030

$1.48 ฿49.44

-69.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,471

$1.11 ฿37.18

-57.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 Rp 97.6K

$6.78 ฿227

-20.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.30 ฿43.50

-36.15%

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

$24.0K Rp 431.7M

$24.4K ฿814.0K

-1.53%

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

$31.9K Rp 573.5M

$24.5K ฿817.4K

30.26%

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

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$83.3 ฿2,783

-4.65%

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

$6.46 Rp 116.3K

$9.84 ฿329

-34.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 Rp 336.4K

$15.45 ฿516

20.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.96 Rp 827.2K

$46.81 ฿1,564

-1.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.87 Rp 267.7K

$14.17 ฿473

4.94%

Cinema Ticket

$3.67 Rp 66.1K

$3.50 ฿117

4.86%

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

$443 Rp 8.0M

$569 ฿19.0K

-22.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,164 Rp 93.0M

$10.5K ฿349.9K

-50.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.58 Rp 784.5K

$19.59 ฿655

122.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.98 Rp 593.7K

$6.64 ฿222

396.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

$118 ฿3,960

-36.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

$73.5 ฿2,455

2.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 Rp 17.5M

$388 ฿13.0K

150.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 Rp 10.7M

$286 ฿9,563

107.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 Rp 55.2M

$1,119 ฿37.4K

173.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 Rp 26.3M

$768 ฿25.7K

90.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 Rp 43.0M

$2,181 ฿72.9K

9.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,945 Rp 35.0M

$1,291 ฿43.1K

50.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$216 Rp 3.9M

$753 ฿25.2K

-71.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

5.57

147.40%

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

Last update for Bali: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sakon Nakhon: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$593 48.3%

Sakon Nakhon

$286 33.8% 51.8% $307

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$273 22.3%

Sakon Nakhon

$233 27.5% 14.9% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$105 8.5%

Sakon Nakhon

$109 12.8% 3.8% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$102 8.3%

Sakon Nakhon

$98 11.6% 3.7% $3.8

Eating Out

Bali

$90 7.3%

Sakon Nakhon

$57 6.8% 36.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$53 4.3%

Sakon Nakhon

$54 6.4% 1% $0.5

Getting Around

Bali

$12 1%

Sakon Nakhon

$11 * 1.2% 12.2% $1.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $975 in Bali versus $388 in Sakon Nakhon. 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 248% higher in Sakon Nakhon, 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 $29.00 in Bali versus $15.00 in Sakon Nakhon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $233 – making Sakon Nakhon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇹🇭 Sakon Nakhon

🕒 Local time

23:20 11:20 PM

22:20 10:20 PM

1 h behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,100

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bali Sakon Nakhon 3,100 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Sakon Nakhon

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 Sakon Nakhon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 45% more than Sakon Nakhon, 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 $1,843 per month in Bali and $1,271 in Sakon Nakhon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,229 in Bali and $847 in Sakon Nakhon. That's a gap of about 45%.

Kindergarten costs $443 per month in Bali and $569 in Sakon Nakhon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sakon Nakhon, where all-in costs run around $847, than in Bali at $1,229. In Sakon Nakhon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sakon Nakhon costs $847 versus $1,229 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 Sakon Nakhon. 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.