Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Bali

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.

55

Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
Learn more

Bangkok Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
Learn more

Bali Living Index

Jump to prices

Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,144

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangkok and in Bali

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

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

Bangkok $1,144
Bali $1,224

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

Bangkok $1,806
Bali $2,064

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

Bangkok $2,467
Bali $2,904

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 ฿99.1

$2.74 Rp 49.1K

7.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.28 ฿1,220

$29.64 Rp 530.3K

22.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.83 ฿229

$4.74 Rp 84.7K

44.09%

Cappuccino

$2.73 ฿91.7

$2.22 Rp 39.7K

22.97%

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

$0.63 ฿21.33

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

-54.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿12.23

$0.66 Rp 11.8K

-45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 ฿87.8

$2.21 Rp 39.5K

18.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ฿151

$3.62 Rp 64.8K

23.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ฿64.0

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

31.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 ฿51.0

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

-29.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 ฿47.92

$1.12 Rp 20.0K

27.68%

Eggs

$2.49 ฿83.6

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

26.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.59 ฿591

$16.41 Rp 293.5K

7.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿122

$3.63 Rp 65.0K

0.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 ฿443

$11.53 Rp 206.4K

14.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 ฿135

$3.37 Rp 60.2K

18.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 ฿59.1

$1.46 Rp 26.0K

20.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.5

$2.15 Rp 38.5K

29.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 ฿63.1

$1.90 Rp 34.0K

-1.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ฿58.6

$1.80 Rp 32.2K

-3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

-30.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ฿43.48

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

37.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.43

$0.48 Rp 8,585

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.66 ฿157

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

117.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 ฿507

$21.94 Rp 392.5K

-31.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿62.0

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

-18.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.77 Rp 49.6K

19.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ฿37.13

$0.26 Rp 4,664

323.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.25 ฿1,185

$8.08 Rp 144.5K

336.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ฿35.48

$0.44 Rp 7,859

140.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 ฿40.81

$0.42 Rp 7,497

188.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.01 ฿202

$5.66 Rp 101.2K

6.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿45.82

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

51.11%

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

$31.0K ฿1.0M

$24.2K Rp 433.8M

27.96%

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

$26.7K ฿896.2K

$31.5K Rp 563.6M

-15.39%

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

$106 ฿3,580

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

33.03%

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

$14.72 ฿495

$6.63 Rp 118.6K

122.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.94 ฿603

$18.33 Rp 327.9K

-2.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 ฿1,944

$45.56 Rp 815.1K

26.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 ฿632

$15.24 Rp 272.7K

23.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 ฿251

$3.71 Rp 66.4K

101.08%

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

$579 ฿19.5K

$442 Rp 7.9M

30.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K ฿546.9K

$5,246 Rp 93.8M

210.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 ฿2,344

$44.18 Rp 790.3K

57.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.48 ฿1,428

$34.13 Rp 610.6K

24.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 ฿3,287

$77.2 Rp 1.4M

26.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ฿3,621

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

43.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$664 ฿22.3K

$994 Rp 17.8M

-33.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 ฿11.5K

$588 Rp 10.5M

-41.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 ฿66.5K

$3,084 Rp 55.2M

-35.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 ฿25.0K

$1,496 Rp 26.8M

-50.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,940 ฿199.7K

$2,383 Rp 42.6M

149.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,098 ฿104.2K

$2,015 Rp 36.1M

53.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 ฿21.0K

$223 Rp 4.0M

180.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

13.78

-61.90%

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

Last update for Bangkok: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangkok

$342 30.5%

Bali

$588 48% 71.9% $246

Groceries & Markets

Bangkok

$277 24.7%

Bali

$274 22.4% 1.1% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Bangkok

$143 12.7%

Bali

$104 8.5% 27.4% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangkok

$139 12.4%

Bali

$105 8.6% 24.5% $34

Eating Out

Bangkok

$103 9.1%

Bali

$89 7.3% 13.2% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Bangkok

$73 6.5%

Bali

$53 4.3% 27.2% $20

Getting Around

Bangkok

$47 4.2%

Bali

$12 1% 75.1% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $664 in Bangkok versus $994 in Bali. 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 $36.00 in Bangkok versus $30.00 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $274 – making Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

09:09 9:09 AM

1 h ahead of Bangkok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,666,264 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.71 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bangkok Bali 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bangkok
Bali

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

Bangkok vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,717 per month in Bangkok and $1,836 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Bangkok and $30.00 in Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,144 in Bangkok and $1,224 in Bali. That's a gap of about 7%.

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.

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.

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 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.