Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Bangkok: $1,112 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

54

Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
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Bangkok Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,112

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangkok and in Ubud, 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 Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,112 in Bangkok versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali.

Bangkok $1,112
Ubud, Bali $1,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,788 in Bangkok versus $2,297 in Ubud, Bali.

Bangkok $1,788
Ubud, Bali $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,464 in Bangkok versus $3,241 in Ubud, Bali.

Bangkok $2,464
Ubud, Bali $3,241

Living in Bangkok costs roughly 18% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bangkok is 18% below, Ubud, Bali is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 ฿98.7

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

-8.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.13 ฿1,174

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

0.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.33 ฿245

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

28.60%

Cappuccino

$2.73 ฿91.3

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

4.20%

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

$0.62 ฿20.78

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

-63.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿12.17

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 ฿87.9

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

-0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

-0.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ฿61.8

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

17.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.5

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

-31.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.72

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

13.56%

Eggs

$2.62 ฿87.4

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

21.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 ฿572

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

-3.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

-2.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.83 ฿429

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

7.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 ฿125

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

3.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

9.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 ฿93.2

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

20.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 ฿62.9

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

-1.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ฿58.4

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

-1.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.68

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

-36.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ฿41.51

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

24.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.22

$0.53 Rp 9,509

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.73 ฿158

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

106.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 ฿505

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.0

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

-24.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿106

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

6.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ฿37.19

$0.23 Rp 4,112

382.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.46 ฿1,152

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

287.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ฿35.47

$0.47 Rp 8,466

125.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 ฿38.60

$0.43 Rp 7,737

167.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 ฿194

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

6.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿47.14

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

69.88%

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

$31.7K ฿1.1M

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

32.95%

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

$26.6K ฿887.8K

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

-18.97%

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

$108 ฿3,612

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

35.12%

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

$15.14 ฿506

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

130.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.15 ฿607

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

-2.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 ฿1,857

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

2.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.54 ฿620

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

1.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 ฿261

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

84.00%

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

$569 ฿19.0K

$493 Rp 8.9M

15.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ฿557.0K

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

197.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 ฿2,371

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

55.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.61 ฿1,424

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

21.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ฿3,361

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

29.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ฿3,560

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

35.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 ฿22.5K

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

-40.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ฿11.1K

$673 Rp 12.1M

-50.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ฿66.2K

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

-45.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 ฿24.5K

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

-57.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,236 ฿208.4K

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

129.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,096 ฿103.5K

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

38.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 ฿20.9K

$166 Rp 3.0M

276.10%

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 18, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangkok

$333 30%

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7% 102% $340

Groceries & Markets

Bangkok

$272 24.5%

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2% 5.4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Bangkok

$144 13%

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9% 26.2% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangkok

$141 12.7%

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8% 25.6% $36

Eating Out

Bangkok

$104 9.4%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9% 2.1% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Bangkok

$71 6.4%

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6% 12.1% $8.6

Getting Around

Bangkok

$46 4.1%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9% 72.8% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bangkok and $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok pays 276% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Bangkok vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $287 per month, with Bangkok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

17:19 5:19 PM

18:19 6:19 PM

1 h ahead of Bangkok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,666,264 Capital

74,800

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Bangkok
Ubud, 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 Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangkok and Ubud, Bali differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,112 vs $1,353 including rent). Bangkok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 276% higher in Bangkok, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $673 in Bangkok versus $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bangkok – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,112 per month in Bangkok versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,112 in Bangkok versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bangkok but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Bangkok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bangkok and Ubud, Bali are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bangkok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.