Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Rai and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Rai: $713 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Rai
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Chiang Rai Living Index
66

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

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Chiang Rai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$713

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $713 in Chiang Rai versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali.

Chiang Rai $713
Ubud, Bali $1,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in Chiang Rai versus $2,297 in Ubud, Bali.

Chiang Rai $1,132
Ubud, Bali $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in Chiang Rai versus $3,241 in Ubud, Bali.

Chiang Rai $1,551
Ubud, Bali $3,241

Living in Chiang Rai costs roughly 47% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 ฿74.0

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

-31.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.02 ฿502

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

-56.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 ฿182

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

-4.39%

Cappuccino

$1.31 ฿43.76

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

-50.00%

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

$0.62 ฿20.71

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

-63.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ฿8.96

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

-39.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 ฿121

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

-17.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 ฿66.0

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

25.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.09

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

-35.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

-0.85%

Eggs

$1.87 ฿62.5

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

-13.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.72 ฿559

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

-5.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.73 ฿91.2

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

-27.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.35 ฿312

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

-21.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 ฿80.8

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

-32.78%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 ฿28.67

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

-45.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.3

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

-33.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.87 ฿28.95

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

-54.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.27

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

-27.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ฿35.97

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

-53.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.19

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

-28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.53 Rp 9,509

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ฿126

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

65.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.54 ฿586

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

-20.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ฿53.0

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

-32.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.0

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

-3.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ฿27.77

$0.23 Rp 4,112

260.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.15 ฿740

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

148.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.43

$0.47 Rp 8,466

151.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.76

$0.43 Rp 7,737

30.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

-56.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ฿45.62

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

65.06%

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

$20.9K ฿698.8K

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

-12.43%

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

$27.1K ฿906.6K

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

-17.25%

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

$61.5 ฿2,055

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

-23.12%

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

$12.14 ฿406

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

85.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.57 ฿454

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

-27.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.83 ฿1,197

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

-33.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.80 ฿194

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

-68.27%

Cinema Ticket

$2.89 ฿96.7

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

-32.00%

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

$770 ฿25.7K

$493 Rp 8.9M

56.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿487.9K

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

160.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ฿1,824

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

19.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.10 ฿839

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

-28.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 ฿2,502

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

-3.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.1 ฿2,444

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

-6.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 ฿7,669

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

-79.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ฿5,141

$673 Rp 12.1M

-77.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 ฿16.8K

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

-86.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ฿11.9K

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

-79.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,910 ฿63.8K

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

-29.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$955 ฿31.9K

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

-57.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 ฿19.6K

$166 Rp 3.0M

251.63%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Rai

$230 32.2%

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2% 25.1% $58

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Rai

$154 21.6%

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7% 337% $519

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Rai

$102 14.4%

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9% 4% $4.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Rai

$87 12.2%

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8% 20.6% $18

Eating Out

Chiang Rai

$69 9.6%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9% 55.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Rai

$42 5.8%

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6% 50.5% $21

Getting Around

Chiang Rai

$29 4.1%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9% 57.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $229 in Chiang Rai and $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Rai pays 252% 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 $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $287 per month, with Chiang Rai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Rai

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

11:31 11:31 AM

12:31 12:31 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Rai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,672

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 25, 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 25, 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

Chiang Rai Ubud, Bali 3,580 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Rai
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

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

Chiang Rai and Ubud, Bali differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($713 vs $1,353 including rent). Chiang Rai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 252% 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: $229 in Chiang Rai versus $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $770 in Chiang Rai versus $493 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $713 in Chiang Rai versus $1,353 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 90% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.