Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Thomas and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Thomas and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in St. Thomas versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,337 in St. Thomas versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,355 in St. Thomas versus $3,732 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in St. Thomas is roughly 61% more expensive than Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Thomas 73% above, Ubud, Bali 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.29 CA$27.80

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

468.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 CA$103

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

130.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.52 CA$15.78

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

127.22%

Cappuccino

$3.48 CA$4.77

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

22.97%

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

$1.82 CA$2.50

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

35.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.38

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

152.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 CA$7.15

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

74.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 CA$7.98

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

51.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 CA$2.76

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

16.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.66

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

5.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 CA$4.48

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

174.79%

Eggs

$3.08 CA$4.22

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

26.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 CA$13.01

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

-35.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 CA$15.59

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

172.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.56 CA$21.32

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

30.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 CA$5.49

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

8.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 CA$1.69

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

-22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.56

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

23.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.12

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

60.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 CA$4.09

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

56.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 CA$3.45

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

15.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 CA$3.16

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

116.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.03

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

105.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 CA$14.87

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

246.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 CA$17.96

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

-44.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 CA$2.84

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

-24.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 CA$3.40

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

-13.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 CA$3.28

$0.29 Rp 5,029

727.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 CA$87.0

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

676.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 CA$3.14

$0.45 Rp 7,863

408.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 CA$2.39

$0.42 Rp 7,305

316.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.76 CA$42.15

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

399.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.51

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

30.95%

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

$25.3K CA$34.6K

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

-3.74%

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

$20.2K CA$27.6K

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

-37.95%

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

$135 CA$184

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

71.65%

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

$54.1 CA$74.2

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

1270.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.9 CA$77.9

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

133.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.82 CA$57.3

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

-56.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.18 CA$15.31

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

176.73%

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

$559 CA$766

$303 Rp 5.2M

84.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CA$15.0K

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

68.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 CA$75.2

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

1.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$52.2

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 CA$116

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

-2.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 CA$111

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

2.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 CA$1,621

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

16.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 CA$1,586

$674 Rp 11.7M

71.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 CA$2,784

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

-40.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,846 CA$2,529

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

-12.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,827 CA$6,612

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

61.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,741 CA$5,124

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

59.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 CA$4,136

$173 Rp 3.0M

1643.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

13.28

-50.68%

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

Last update for St. Thomas: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,183 in St. Thomas and $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Thomas pays 1644% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75.0 in St. Thomas vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $298 per month, with Ubud, Bali 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

St. Thomas vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Thomas and Ubud, Bali differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,438 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

St. Thomas pays 1644% more on average, 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: $1,183 in St. Thomas versus $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $559 in St. Thomas versus $303 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in St. Thomas. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,320 in St. Thomas, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in St. Thomas. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali 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, St. Thomas 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in St. Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.