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: $2,292 in St. Thomas versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,392 in St. Thomas versus $2,557 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,491 in St. Thomas versus $3,723 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in St. Thomas is roughly 65% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Thomas 72% above, Ubud, Bali 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 CA$27.99

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

459.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 CA$104

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

129.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 CA$15.67

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

123.15%

Cappuccino

$3.53 CA$4.94

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

25.18%

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

$1.77 CA$2.48

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

31.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.55

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

149.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 CA$7.04

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

71.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 CA$8.05

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

45.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 CA$2.84

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

14.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

6.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.66

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

189.57%

Eggs

$3.05 CA$4.27

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

26.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.55 CA$13.38

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

-33.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.10 CA$15.55

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

164.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.62 CA$21.89

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

29.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.86

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

14.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-21.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 CA$4.46

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

13.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.23

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

66.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.05

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

45.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 CA$3.58

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

11.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.40

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

131.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

82.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 CA$15.52

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

247.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.45 CA$17.44

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

-47.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 CA$2.89

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

-28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 CA$3.62

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

-6.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$0.27 Rp 4,813

766.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 CA$87.3

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

644.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 CA$3.38

$0.45 Rp 8,167

435.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 CA$2.38

$0.46 Rp 8,298

269.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.51 CA$44.15

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

419.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.57

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

30.23%

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

$25.2K CA$35.3K

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

-5.28%

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

$20.7K CA$29.0K

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

-36.41%

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

$133 CA$186

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

68.21%

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

$53.1 CA$74.4

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

1198.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.9 CA$79.8

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

138.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.13 CA$59.0

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

-57.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

Cinema Ticket

$10.89 CA$15.26

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

171.57%

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

$559 CA$784

$297 Rp 5.4M

88.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K CA$15.6K

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

68.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 CA$78.2

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

4.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.44 CA$53.9

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

0.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 CA$121

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

-2.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CA$112

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

4.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 CA$1,639

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

14.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 CA$1,622

$680 Rp 12.3M

70.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 CA$2,851

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

-41.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 CA$2,530

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

-13.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,317 CA$6,049

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

58.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,607 CA$5,055

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

57.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,931 CA$4,108

$164 Rp 3.0M

1690.84%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in St. Thomas and $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Thomas pays 1691% 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 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 65% in total monthly costs ($2,292 vs $1,392 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1691% higher in St. Thomas, 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: $1,170 in St. Thomas versus $1,020 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 $297 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in St. Thomas. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,292 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 65% less than in St. Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.