Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Tao and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Tao: $1,038 a month against $1,348 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

50

Cost of Living Index in Koh Tao
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Koh Tao Living Index
66

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

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Koh Tao

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,038

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,038 in Koh Tao versus $1,348 in Ubud, Bali.

Koh Tao $1,038
Ubud, Bali $1,348

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,702 in Koh Tao versus $2,312 in Ubud, Bali.

Koh Tao $1,702
Ubud, Bali $2,312

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,367 in Koh Tao versus $3,276 in Ubud, Bali.

Koh Tao $2,367
Ubud, Bali $3,276

Living in Koh Tao costs roughly 23% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Koh Tao is 23% below, Ubud, Bali is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 ฿126

$3.33 Rp 59.6K

12.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.47 ฿920

$35.42 Rp 633.1K

-22.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.44 ฿249

$5.76 Rp 102.9K

29.17%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ฿76.7

$2.63 Rp 47.0K

-12.93%

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

$0.74 ฿24.85

$1.74 Rp 31.0K

-57.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ฿14.14

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

-45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 ฿70.5

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

-22.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ฿106

$4.52 Rp 80.8K

-30.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$1.53 Rp 27.4K

1.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ฿43.93

$2.20 Rp 39.2K

-40.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 ฿47.89

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

17.21%

Eggs

$2.08 ฿69.6

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

-2.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.59 ฿623

$17.73 Rp 316.9K

4.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 ฿104

$3.86 Rp 68.9K

-19.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 ฿346

$12.03 Rp 215.0K

-14.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.5

$3.61 Rp 64.5K

-25.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ฿51.7

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

1.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.5

$2.32 Rp 41.4K

-6.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 ฿65.2

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

-2.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 ฿48.03

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

-20.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ฿42.12

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

-47.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ฿35.35

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

7.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.52 Rp 9,373

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 ฿136

$2.18 Rp 39.0K

86.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.40 ฿583

$22.98 Rp 410.7K

-24.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ฿56.0

$2.40 Rp 42.8K

-30.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 ฿88.0

$3.00 Rp 53.6K

-12.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 ฿65.9

$0.24 Rp 4,255

720.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.99 Rp 125.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 ฿87.6

$0.44 Rp 7,876

495.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ฿30.50

$0.42 Rp 7,582

116.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ฿117

$5.45 Rp 97.4K

-36.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿43.27

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

53.57%

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

$23.8K ฿796.9K

$24.3K Rp 434.8M

-2.15%

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

$24.3K ฿813.9K

$31.9K Rp 570.0M

-23.77%

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

$96.6 ฿3,235

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

19.55%

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

$11.14 ฿373

$6.58 Rp 117.6K

69.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿564

$18.24 Rp 326.1K

-7.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 ฿1,827

$55.1 Rp 985.4K

-1.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.61 ฿389

$18.51 Rp 330.9K

-37.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.88 ฿264

$4.24 Rp 75.9K

85.85%

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

$547 ฿18.3K

$486 Rp 8.7M

12.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K ฿383.3K

$5,676 Rp 101.5M

101.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 ฿2,100

$45.18 Rp 807.6K

38.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.43 ฿952

$34.57 Rp 617.9K

-17.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,220

$79.2 Rp 1.4M

21.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 ฿2,952

$77.6 Rp 1.4M

13.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 ฿17.9K

$1,127 Rp 20.1M

-52.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ฿11.9K

$674 Rp 12.1M

-47.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 ฿51.3K

$3,618 Rp 64.7M

-57.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ฿30.0K

$1,735 Rp 31.0M

-48.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,660 ฿89.0K

$2,829 Rp 50.6M

-5.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

$2,307 Rp 41.2M

-16.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

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 Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Tao

$354 34%

Ubud, Bali

$674 49.6% 90.5% $320

Groceries & Markets

Koh Tao

$252 24.2%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.4% 15.2% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Tao

$125 12%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8% 15.2% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Tao

$124 11.9%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8% 14.1% $18

Eating Out

Koh Tao

$101 9.7%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 6.6% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Tao

$70 6.8%

Ubud, Bali

$64 4.7% 9.5% $6.7

Getting Around

Koh Tao

$15 * 1.5%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.8% 30.2% $4.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $535 in Koh Tao and $1,127 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Koh Tao vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $290 per month, with Koh Tao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Tao

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

13:45 1:45 PM

14:45 2:45 PM

1 h ahead of Koh Tao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,382

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 = 5.59 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 = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Koh Tao
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

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

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,557 in Koh Tao and $2,022 in Ubud, Bali to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $535 in Koh Tao versus $1,127 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Koh Tao versus $486 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Tao – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,038 in Koh Tao versus $1,348 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Koh Tao but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Tao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Koh Tao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Koh Tao 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 Koh Tao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.