Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Tao and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Tao: $1,038 a month against $1,224 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

50

Cost of Living Index in Koh Tao
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Koh Tao Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index

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Koh Tao

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,038

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,038 per month in Koh Tao vs $1,224 in Bali, rent included.

Koh Tao $1,038
Bali $1,224

A couple spends around $1,702 per month in Koh Tao vs $2,064 in Bali, rent included.

Koh Tao $1,702
Bali $2,064

A family of three spends $2,367 per month in Koh Tao vs $2,904 in Bali, rent included.

Koh Tao $2,367
Bali $2,904

Koh Tao is about 15% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Koh Tao and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Koh Tao 23% lower, Bali 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 ฿126

$2.74 Rp 49.0K

36.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.47 ฿920

$29.64 Rp 529.8K

-7.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.44 ฿249

$4.74 Rp 84.7K

56.96%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ฿76.7

$2.22 Rp 39.7K

3.15%

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

$0.74 ฿24.85

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

-45.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ฿14.14

$0.66 Rp 11.8K

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 ฿70.5

$2.21 Rp 39.4K

-4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ฿106

$3.62 Rp 64.7K

-12.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ฿43.93

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

-39.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 ฿47.89

$1.12 Rp 20.0K

27.68%

Eggs

$2.08 ฿69.6

$1.97 Rp 35.2K

5.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.59 ฿623

$16.41 Rp 293.2K

13.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 ฿104

$3.63 Rp 65.0K

-14.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 ฿346

$11.53 Rp 206.2K

-10.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.5

$3.37 Rp 60.2K

-19.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ฿51.7

$1.46 Rp 26.0K

5.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.5

$2.15 Rp 38.4K

0.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 ฿65.2

$1.90 Rp 34.0K

2.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 ฿48.03

$1.80 Rp 32.2K

-20.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ฿42.12

$2.24 Rp 40.0K

-43.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ฿35.35

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

12.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.48 Rp 8,577

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 ฿136

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

89.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.40 ฿583

$21.94 Rp 392.2K

-20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ฿56.0

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

-26.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 ฿88.0

$2.77 Rp 49.6K

-5.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 ฿65.9

$0.26 Rp 4,661

657.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.08 Rp 144.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 ฿87.6

$0.44 Rp 7,853

495.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ฿30.50

$0.42 Rp 7,491

116.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ฿117

$5.66 Rp 101.1K

-38.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿43.27

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

43.33%

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

$23.8K ฿796.9K

$24.2K Rp 433.4M

-1.83%

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

$24.3K ฿813.9K

$31.5K Rp 563.1M

-22.84%

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

$96.6 ฿3,235

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

20.71%

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

$11.14 ฿373

$6.63 Rp 118.5K

68.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿564

$18.33 Rp 327.6K

-8.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 ฿1,827

$45.56 Rp 814.4K

19.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.61 ฿389

$15.24 Rp 272.4K

-23.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.88 ฿264

$3.71 Rp 66.4K

112.40%

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

$547 ฿18.3K

$442 Rp 7.9M

23.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K ฿383.3K

$5,246 Rp 93.8M

118.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 ฿2,100

$44.18 Rp 789.6K

41.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.43 ฿952

$34.13 Rp 610.1K

-16.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,220

$77.2 Rp 1.4M

24.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 ฿2,952

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

17.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 ฿17.9K

$994 Rp 17.8M

-46.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ฿11.9K

$588 Rp 10.5M

-39.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 ฿51.3K

$3,084 Rp 55.1M

-50.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ฿30.0K

$1,496 Rp 26.7M

-40.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,660 ฿89.0K

$2,383 Rp 42.6M

11.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

$2,015 Rp 36.0M

-4.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$223 Rp 4.0M

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 Koh Tao: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Tao

$354 34%

Bali

$588 48% 66.3% $235

Groceries & Markets

Koh Tao

$252 24.2%

Bali

$274 22.4% 8.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Tao

$125 12%

Bali

$105 8.6% 15.7% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Tao

$124 11.9%

Bali

$104 8.5% 16.3% $20

Eating Out

Koh Tao

$101 9.7%

Bali

$89 7.3% 12% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Tao

$70 6.8%

Bali

$53 4.3% 24.6% $17

Getting Around

Koh Tao

$15 * 1.5%

Bali

$12 1% 22.6% $3.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $535 in Koh Tao 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Koh Tao versus $30.00 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $274 – making Koh Tao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Tao

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

21:13 9:13 PM

22:13 10:13 PM

1 h ahead of Koh Tao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,382

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 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 = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,030 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Koh Tao Bali 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Koh Tao
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

Koh Tao vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 18% more than Koh Tao, 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 $1,557 per month in Koh Tao 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 Koh Tao, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,038 in Koh Tao and $1,224 in Bali. That's a gap of about 18%.

Kindergarten costs $547 per month in Koh Tao and $442 in Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Koh Tao, where all-in costs run around $1,038, than in Bali at $1,224. In Koh Tao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Koh Tao costs $1,038 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 Koh Tao. 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.