Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thames and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,212 in Thames, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Thames, New Zealand
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Thames
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$2,212
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,212 per month in Thames vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Thames $2,212
  • Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $3,073 per month in Thames vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Thames $3,073
  • Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in Thames vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Thames $3,934
  • Ubud, Bali $3,261

Thames costs about 64% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Thames
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.37 NZ$25.29
$3.32 Rp 59.9K
332.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.1 NZ$118
$35.64 Rp 642.4K
88.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.11 NZ$16.03
$5.53 Rp 99.7K
64.74%
Cappuccino
$3.41 NZ$6.01
$2.72 Rp 49.0K
25.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 NZ$3.47
$1.70 Rp 30.7K
15.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.76 NZ$3.11
$0.76 Rp 13.7K
131.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.94 NZ$12.22
$2.65 Rp 47.8K
161.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.98 NZ$12.28
$4.38 Rp 79.0K
59.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Thames
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.98 NZ$3.49
$1.49 Rp 26.9K
32.89%
White Bread (500g)
$2.18 NZ$3.83
$2.28 Rp 41.0K
-4.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.89 NZ$3.33
$1.19 Rp 21.5K
58.82%
Eggs
$6.53 NZ$11.50
$2.04 Rp 36.7K
220.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.68 NZ$15.28
$17.70 Rp 319.1K
-50.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.92 NZ$17.45
$3.96 Rp 71.4K
150.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.12 NZ$30.13
$12.19 Rp 219.7K
40.44%
Apples (1kg)
$2.82 NZ$4.97
$3.66 Rp 65.9K
-22.95%
Banana (1kg)
$2.14 NZ$3.77
$1.52 Rp 27.4K
40.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.97 NZ$5.22
$2.23 Rp 40.2K
33.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.83 NZ$10.27
$1.97 Rp 35.6K
195.94%
Potato (1kg)
$2.16 NZ$3.80
$1.85 Rp 33.3K
16.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.52 NZ$2.68
$2.42 Rp 43.7K
-37.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.05 NZ$3.60
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
107.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.06 NZ$1.87
$0.51 Rp 9,255
107.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$27.29 NZ$48.02
$2.22 Rp 40.0K
1129.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.20 NZ$17.96
$22.24 Rp 400.9K
-54.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.87 NZ$5.05
$2.26 Rp 40.7K
26.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 NZ$5.83
$2.97 Rp 53.5K
11.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Thames
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.91 NZ$3.36
$0.25 Rp 4,525
664.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$105 NZ$184
$7.82 Rp 141.0K
1237.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.24 NZ$3.94
$0.44 Rp 7,923
409.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.02 NZ$3.56
$0.43 Rp 7,753
369.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.52 NZ$57.2
$5.41 Rp 97.5K
501.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.92 NZ$3.37
$0.82 Rp 14.9K
134.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K NZ$47.2K
$23.8K Rp 429.7M
12.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.9K NZ$38.5K
$31.7K Rp 572.3M
-31.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thames
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$182 NZ$319
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
129.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.73 NZ$47.04
$6.45 Rp 116.2K
314.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.3 NZ$92.0
$18.58 Rp 334.9K
181.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Thames
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.75 NZ$62.9
$49.48 Rp 892.0K
-27.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.65 Rp 318.1K
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.00 NZ$21.12
$4.27 Rp 77.0K
181.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Thames
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,048 NZ$1,844
$491 Rp 8.8M
113.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.0K NZ$35.2K
$5,674 Rp 102.3M
252.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Thames
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.2 NZ$143
$44.64 Rp 804.7K
81.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 NZ$72.9
$34.95 Rp 630.1K
18.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.8 NZ$163
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
16.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 NZ$193
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
37.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Thames
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,034 NZ$1,820
$1,125 Rp 20.3M
-8.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,032 NZ$1,816
$671 Rp 12.1M
53.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,785 NZ$3,141
$3,565 Rp 64.3M
-49.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,321 NZ$2,325
$1,723 Rp 31.1M
-23.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,599 NZ$8,095
$2,732 Rp 49.2M
68.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,098 NZ$5,452
$2,284 Rp 41.2M
35.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Thames
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$164 Rp 3.0M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.37
13.78
-61.03%

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

Last update for Thames: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Thames
$1K
Ubud, Bali
$672 34.9% $360
Groceries & Markets
Thames
$342
Ubud, Bali
$288 15.7% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thames
$261
Ubud, Bali
$104 60% $156
Eating Out
Thames
$247
Ubud, Bali
$108 56.4% $139
Clothing & Footwear
Thames
$146
Ubud, Bali
$108 26.5% $39
Getting Around
Thames
$125
Ubud, Bali
$11 90.8% $113
Sport & Entertainment
Thames
$60
Ubud, Bali
$58 2.9% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,034 in Thames 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Thames versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $342 vs $288 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇿 Thames
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
03:03 3:03 AM
22:03 10:03 PM
5 h behind Thames
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
7,500
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 NZD (1 NZD = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 NZD (1 NZD = 0.511 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,061 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Thames Ubud, Bali 6,820 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Thames
  • 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
Thames vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ubud, Bali cheaper than Thames?
Yes – Thames is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,318 per month in Thames and $2,023 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Thames and Ubud, Bali?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,034 in Thames and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,048 per month in Thames and $491 in Ubud, Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Thames and in Ubud, Bali?
Groceries cost about 19% more in Thames, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Thames or in Ubud, Bali?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,212 in Thames and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Thames or in Ubud, Bali?
It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,349 in Ubud, Bali to $2,212 in Thames. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Thames or Ubud, Bali?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

Thames vs other spots: cost of living compared

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