Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Uluwatu, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,649 in Uluwatu, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Uluwatu, Bali
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Uluwatu, Bali Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Uluwatu, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,649

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Uluwatu, Bali

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,649 in Uluwatu, Bali, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Uluwatu, Bali $1,649

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,833 in Uluwatu, Bali, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Uluwatu, Bali $2,833

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,017 in Uluwatu, Bali, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Uluwatu, Bali $4,017

Chiang Mai is about 43% cheaper than Uluwatu, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Uluwatu, Bali is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.90 Rp 70.7K

-42.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$43.32 Rp 785.0K

-56.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.66 Rp 120.6K

-16.67%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.16 Rp 57.3K

-47.15%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.01 Rp 36.4K

-68.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.92 Rp 16.7K

-66.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$3.24 Rp 58.7K

-27.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$5.17 Rp 93.6K

-29.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.64 Rp 29.7K

18.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$2.40 Rp 43.5K

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.26 Rp 22.8K

5.56%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.21 Rp 40.1K

3.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$18.40 Rp 333.5K

-10.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.10 Rp 74.4K

-32.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$12.58 Rp 227.9K

-25.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.68 Rp 66.7K

-36.14%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.66 Rp 30.0K

-41.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.44 Rp 44.2K

-34.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.00 Rp 36.3K

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$1.87 Rp 33.9K

-31.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$2.50 Rp 45.3K

-56.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.07 Rp 19.5K

-33.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.54 Rp 9,833

-9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.33 Rp 42.2K

77.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$23.39 Rp 423.8K

-25.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.48 Rp 44.9K

-35.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.11 Rp 56.4K

-10.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.29 Rp 5,194

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$11.34 Rp 205.5K

376.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.60 Rp 10.8K

93.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.55 Rp 9,893

-3.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$2.60 Rp 47.0K

-6.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.03 Rp 18.7K

40.78%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$30.0K Rp 544.4M

-29.91%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$40.1K Rp 726.0M

-32.76%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$89.3 Rp 1.6M

-30.36%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$7.18 Rp 130.1K

69.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$19.86 Rp 359.8K

1.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$58.1 Rp 1.1M

-35.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$20.68 Rp 374.8K

-81.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.06 Rp 91.7K

28.26%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$545 Rp 9.9M

35.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$6,343 Rp 114.9M

132.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$49.39 Rp 895.0K

8.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$38.55 Rp 698.6K

-36.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$87.3 Rp 1.6M

4.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$85.4 Rp 1.5M

-15.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,531 Rp 27.7M

-68.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$901 Rp 16.3M

-65.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$4,801 Rp 87.0M

-79.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$2,305 Rp 41.8M

-72.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$3,735 Rp 67.7M

-36.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$3,095 Rp 56.1M

-48.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.78

-59.58%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Uluwatu, Bali: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Uluwatu, Bali

$901 54.6% 192% $592

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Uluwatu, Bali

$303 18.4% 29.2% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Uluwatu, Bali

$117 7.1% 8% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Uluwatu, Bali

$116 7.1% 23.1% $22

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Uluwatu, Bali

$127 7.7% 64.2% $50

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Uluwatu, Bali

$16 1% 74.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Uluwatu, Bali

$68 4.1% 35.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,531 in Uluwatu, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $43 in Uluwatu, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $303 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Uluwatu, Bali

🕒 Local time

00:51 12:51 AM

01:51 1:51 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

5,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Uluwatu, Bali 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Uluwatu, 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

Chiang Mai vs Uluwatu, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Uluwatu, Bali costs about 76% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,473 in Uluwatu, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,531 in Uluwatu, Bali.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $545 in Uluwatu, Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Uluwatu, Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,649 in Uluwatu, Bali. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,649 in Uluwatu, Bali. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.