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: $2,340 in St. Thomas versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,352 in St. Thomas versus $2,549 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,365 in St. Thomas versus $3,694 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in St. Thomas is roughly 67% more expensive than Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Thomas 74% above, Ubud, Bali 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 CA$28.45

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

470.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 CA$104

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

129.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.52 CA$16.09

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

137.04%

Cappuccino

$3.44 CA$4.81

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

25.09%

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

$1.83 CA$2.55

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

38.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 CA$2.47

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

152.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.00 CA$6.98

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

71.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 CA$8.08

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

52.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 CA$2.82

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

18.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 CA$3.61

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

4.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.55

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

171.67%

Eggs

$3.14 CA$4.38

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

28.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 CA$13.52

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

-32.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 CA$15.77

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

161.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 CA$22.23

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

30.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 CA$5.60

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

8.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 CA$1.74

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

-19.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 CA$4.51

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

15.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.19

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

59.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.16

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

51.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.65

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

13.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 CA$3.31

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

123.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 CA$2.02

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

98.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CA$15.64

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

241.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 CA$17.95

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

-43.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 CA$2.91

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

-25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.58

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

-7.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 CA$3.37

$0.29 Rp 5,217

731.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.6 CA$87.4

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

676.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 CA$3.31

$0.45 Rp 8,047

426.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 CA$2.46

$0.45 Rp 8,094

291.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.89 CA$44.53

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

411.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.55

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

30.59%

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

$25.3K CA$35.3K

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

-2.59%

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

$20.4K CA$28.4K

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

-35.70%

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

$130 CA$182

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

61.49%

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

$53.7 CA$75.0

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

1222.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 CA$82.2

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

140.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.50 CA$59.4

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

-56.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 CA$15.25

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

170.30%

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

$548 CA$766

$304 Rp 5.4M

80.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K CA$15.5K

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

67.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 CA$77.8

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

2.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.52 CA$53.8

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

-0.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 CA$117

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

-2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 CA$113

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

5.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 CA$1,635

$986 Rp 17.7M

18.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 CA$1,668

$658 Rp 11.8M

81.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,001 CA$2,795

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

-40.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 CA$2,499

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

-13.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,479 CA$6,255

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

63.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,710 CA$5,181

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

66.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,907 CA$4,060

$163 Rp 2.9M

1679.08%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,171 in St. Thomas and $986 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Thomas pays 1679% 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: $74.0 in St. Thomas vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $297 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 67% in total monthly costs ($2,340 vs $1,404 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

St. Thomas pays 1679% 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: $1,171 in St. Thomas versus $986 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $548 in St. Thomas versus $304 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in St. Thomas. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,340 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 67% less than in St. Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.