Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Tao and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Tao and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,109 in Koh Tao versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,987 in Koh Tao versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,866 in Koh Tao versus $3,732 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Koh Tao costs roughly 23% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Koh Tao is 17% below, Ubud, Bali is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ฿127

$3.57 Rp 61.6K

9.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.53 ฿1,253

$32.58 Rp 562.6K

18.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ฿244

$5.07 Rp 87.5K

48.32%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ฿81.8

$2.83 Rp 48.8K

-10.95%

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

$0.62 ฿20.18

$1.34 Rp 23.1K

-53.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿10.80

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

-52.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 ฿69.0

$2.99 Rp 51.6K

-29.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ฿100

$3.85 Rp 66.4K

-19.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ฿67.3

$1.74 Rp 30.1K

18.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 ฿57.9

$2.54 Rp 43.8K

-29.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿70.2

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

81.51%

Eggs

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.43 Rp 41.9K

-9.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.88 ฿614

$14.66 Rp 253.2K

28.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ฿114

$4.18 Rp 72.1K

-16.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.74 ฿414

$11.94 Rp 206.1K

6.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 ฿100

$3.69 Rp 63.6K

-16.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.7

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

-3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿72.0

$2.69 Rp 46.4K

-17.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 ฿61.3

$2.33 Rp 40.2K

-18.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.31

$1.91 Rp 32.9K

-20.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿44.65

$2.19 Rp 37.7K

-37.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ฿29.99

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

-13.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.15

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

-30.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 ฿134

$3.13 Rp 54.1K

31.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.41 ฿598

$23.49 Rp 405.6K

-21.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ฿55.5

$2.74 Rp 47.3K

-37.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 ฿82.4

$2.88 Rp 49.7K

-12.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 ฿41.54

$0.29 Rp 5,010

341.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 ฿92.6

$0.45 Rp 7,834

533.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 ฿28.98

$0.42 Rp 7,278

111.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.71 ฿413

$6.16 Rp 106.3K

106.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿40.08

$0.84 Rp 14.5K

46.43%

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

$25.0K ฿811.5K

$26.2K Rp 453.1M

-4.88%

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

$29.6K ฿963.6K

$32.5K Rp 560.8M

-8.74%

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

$122 ฿3,973

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

55.85%

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

$13.66 ฿444

$3.95 Rp 68.2K

245.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.27 ฿594

$24.40 Rp 421.4K

-25.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.7 ฿2,072

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

-34.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.81 ฿579

$6.35 Rp 109.6K

180.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.50 ฿309

$4.04 Rp 69.7K

135.15%

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

$685 ฿22.3K

$303 Rp 5.2M

126.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿524.4K

$6,523 Rp 112.6M

147.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ฿1,936

$53.8 Rp 929.5K

10.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.31 ฿1,115

$37.98 Rp 655.8K

-9.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,670

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

30.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.0 ฿2,730

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

6.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.1K

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

-54.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 ฿10.9K

$674 Rp 11.6M

-50.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 ฿50.4K

$3,390 Rp 58.5M

-54.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 ฿37.0K

$2,098 Rp 36.2M

-45.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,834 ฿92.1K

$2,985 Rp 51.5M

-5.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,035 ฿66.2K

$2,339 Rp 40.4M

-13.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.28

-59.86%

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

Last update for Koh Tao: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Koh Tao and $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Koh Tao vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $279 vs $298, with Koh Tao cheaper for home cooking.

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 & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,663 in Koh Tao and $2,158 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: $464 in Koh Tao versus $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $685 in Koh Tao versus $303 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 $39.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,109 in Koh Tao versus $1,438 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.