Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Rai and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Rai and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $735 in Chiang Rai versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,157 in Chiang Rai versus $2,327 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,580 in Chiang Rai versus $3,275 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Chiang Rai costs roughly 47% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Rai is 47% below, Ubud, Bali is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.09 ฿68.7

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

-37.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.44 ฿508

$35.82 Rp 631.0K

-56.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.46 ฿180

$5.63 Rp 99.2K

-3.02%

Cappuccino

$1.34 ฿44.14

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

-52.48%

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

$0.66 ฿21.78

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

-62.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ฿9.16

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

-65.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 ฿56.2

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

-43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿118

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

-16.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿66.5

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

25.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ฿52.3

$2.27 Rp 40.0K

-29.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ฿40.86

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

5.98%

Eggs

$1.86 ฿61.2

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.01 ฿526

$17.63 Rp 310.6K

-9.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

-27.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.04 ฿330

$12.18 Rp 214.6K

-17.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 ฿88.0

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

-26.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 ฿27.12

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ฿51.5

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

-32.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.95 ฿31.30

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

-51.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 ฿41.10

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

-32.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.18

$2.37 Rp 41.8K

-54.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ฿24.42

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

-29.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.77

$0.54 Rp 9,564

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ฿130

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

72.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$23.08 Rp 406.5K

-20.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ฿56.9

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

-26.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿95.9

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

-4.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿28.56

$0.25 Rp 4,366

248.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.78 ฿749

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

141.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ฿40.96

$0.49 Rp 8,635

155.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ฿17.64

$0.47 Rp 8,352

14.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿78.6

$5.60 Rp 98.7K

-57.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.70

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

67.90%

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

$21.5K ฿708.4K

$25.0K Rp 440.5M

-13.85%

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

$27.7K ฿911.2K

$31.1K Rp 547.2M

-10.79%

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

$64.3 ฿2,115

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

-22.22%

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

$13.42 ฿441

$6.49 Rp 114.3K

106.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.04 ฿462

$18.79 Rp 331.0K

-25.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.89 ฿1,180

$55.2 Rp 973.0K

-35.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.09 ฿200

$18.21 Rp 320.8K

-66.56%

Cinema Ticket

$3.13 ฿103

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

-27.21%

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

$793 ฿26.1K

$494 Rp 8.7M

60.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿489.6K

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

151.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 ฿1,853

$46.28 Rp 815.2K

21.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.52 ฿839

$36.44 Rp 641.9K

-29.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ฿2,499

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

-5.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,414

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

-6.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 ฿7,724

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

-78.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 ฿5,104

$693 Rp 12.2M

-77.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

-85.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ฿11.9K

$1,712 Rp 30.2M

-78.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,973 ฿64.9K

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

-28.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$977 ฿32.1K

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

-57.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$612 ฿20.1K

$167 Rp 2.9M

266.12%

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 Rai: September 8, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $235 in Chiang Rai and $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Rai pays 266% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $15.00 in Chiang Rai vs $36.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $294 per month, with Chiang Rai cheaper across the board.

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 Rai vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Rai and Ubud, Bali differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($735 vs $1,378 including rent). Chiang Rai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 266% higher in Chiang Rai, 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: $235 in Chiang Rai versus $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Chiang Rai versus $494 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $735 in Chiang Rai versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Rai but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Rai 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, Chiang Rai 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 Chiang Rai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.