Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $4,405 in St Thomas, rent and utilities included – about $36,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in St Thomas
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St Thomas Living Index
65

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

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St Thomas

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$4,405

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,405 per month in St Thomas vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

St Thomas $4,405
Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $7,271 per month in St Thomas vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

St Thomas $7,271
Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $10.1K per month in St Thomas vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

St Thomas $10.1K
Ubud, Bali $3,261

St Thomas costs about 227% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.53 $22.53

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

578.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$169 $169

$35.64 Rp 646.7K

374.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.39 $13.39

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

142.13%

Cappuccino

$6.00 $6.00

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

120.59%

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

$3.88 $3.88

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

128.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

351.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

87.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 $7.02

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

60.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

85.91%

White Bread (500g)

$6.70 $6.70

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

193.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$18.56 $18.56

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

1459.66%

Eggs

$8.84 $8.84

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

333.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 $11.47

$17.70 Rp 321.2K

-35.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.17 $29.17

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

636.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.88 $39.88

$12.19 Rp 221.2K

227.15%

Apples (1kg)

$12.14 $12.14

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

231.69%

Banana (1kg)

$10.95 $10.95

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

620.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$11.95 $11.95

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

435.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$19.65 $19.65

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

897.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

6.49%

Onion (1kg)

$8.71 $8.71

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

259.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$8.22 $8.22

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

730.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$5.39 $5.39

$0.51 Rp 9,316

956.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$25.08 $25.08

$22.24 Rp 403.6K

12.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 $5.95

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

100.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.25 Rp 4,555

680.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 $61.0

$7.82 Rp 142.0K

680.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.99 $19.99

$0.44 Rp 7,975

4443.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.43 Rp 7,804

609.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

75.61%

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

$54.0K $54.0K

$23.8K Rp 432.6M

126.32%

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

$48.2K $48.2K

$31.7K Rp 576.1M

51.82%

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

$462 $462

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

484.48%

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

$98.9 $98.9

$6.45 Rp 117.0K

1433.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$147 $147

$18.58 Rp 337.1K

693.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$163 $163

$49.48 Rp 897.9K

229.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.2K

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 $10.18

$4.27 Rp 77.6K

138.41%

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

$1,471 $1,471

$491 Rp 8.9M

199.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K $22.1K

$5,674 Rp 103.0M

289.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 $116

$44.64 Rp 810.0K

159.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$147 $147

$34.95 Rp 634.2K

321.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$204 $204

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

154.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

85.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 $1,589

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

41.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 $1,813

$671 Rp 12.2M

169.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,239 $3,239

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

-9.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,321 $4,321

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

150.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,840 $4,840

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

77.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.0K $11.0K

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

380.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,724 $2,724

$164 Rp 3.0M

1562.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

13.78

-31.42%

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

Last update for St Thomas: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St Thomas

$1.8K 41.2%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 63% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

St Thomas

$960 * 21.8%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 69.9% $671

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St Thomas

$708 16.1%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 85.3% $604

Eating Out

St Thomas

$361 8.2%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 70.1% $253

Clothing & Footwear

St Thomas

$276 6.3%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 61.1% $169

Sport & Entertainment

St Thomas

$183 4.2%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 68.3% $125

Getting Around

St Thomas

$104 2.4%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 89% $93

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in St Thomas versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in St Thomas are about 17 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $169 in St Thomas versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $960 vs $288 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇮 St Thomas

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

23:02 11:02 PM

11:02 11:02 AM

12 h ahead of St Thomas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

74,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,337 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

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St Thomas Ubud, Bali 18,920 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

St Thomas
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,405 in St Thomas, $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – Ubud, Bali comes out roughly 69% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,608 per month in St Thomas and $2,023 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,125 there versus $1,589 in St Thomas.

Public transport costs about 87% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,471 per month in St Thomas and $491 in Ubud, Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,405 in St Thomas and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Ubud, Bali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, St Thomas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.