Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thimphu and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Thimphu: $522 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Thimphu
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Thimphu Living Index
65

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

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Thimphu

🇧🇹 Bhutan

$522

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $522 in Thimphu versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Thimphu $522
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $811 in Thimphu versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Thimphu $811
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,100 in Thimphu versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Thimphu $1,100
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Thimphu costs roughly 61% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.65 BTN 252

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

-20.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.45 BTN 1,373

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

-59.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 BTN 469

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

-10.67%

Cappuccino

$1.27 BTN 121

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

-53.31%

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

$0.53 BTN 50.3

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

-68.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 BTN 16.04

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

-77.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 BTN 255

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

1.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 BTN 148

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

-64.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 BTN 73.4

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

-48.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 BTN 106

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

-50.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 BTN 97.5

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

-13.45%

Eggs

$1.95 BTN 185

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

-4.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.74 BTN 355

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

-78.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 BTN 377

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.89 BTN 370

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

-68.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 BTN 240

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

-31.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 BTN 143

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

-0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 BTN 156

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

-26.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 BTN 72.7

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

-61.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 BTN 54.0

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

-69.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 BTN 67.5

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

-70.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 BTN 35.86

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

-61.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 BTN 29.89

$0.51 Rp 9,313

-39.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 BTN 377

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

78.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.80 BTN 266

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

-87.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 BTN 59.0

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

-72.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 BTN 134

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

-52.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 BTN 76.2

$0.25 Rp 4,553

220.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.27 BTN 501

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

-32.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 BTN 73.6

$0.44 Rp 7,972

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 BTN 148

$0.43 Rp 7,801

262.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.14 BTN 13.64

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

-97.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 BTN 74.4

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

-4.88%

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

$16.8K BTN 1.6M

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

-29.69%

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

$15.5K BTN 1.5M

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

-51.26%

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

$34.15 BTN 3,246

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-56.80%

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

$35.64 BTN 3,387

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

452.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.15 BTN 2,296

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

29.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.23 BTN 4,584

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

-2.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.53 BTN 716

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

-57.34%

Cinema Ticket

$3.13 BTN 298

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

-26.70%

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

$45.45 BTN 4,320

$491 Rp 8.9M

-90.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$579 BTN 55.1K

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

-89.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 BTN 4,760

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

12.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.28 BTN 2,403

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

-27.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 BTN 6,480

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

-14.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$14.25 BTN 1,355

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

-82.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$128 BTN 12.2K

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

-88.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$88.9 BTN 8,450

$671 Rp 12.2M

-86.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$191 BTN 18.1K

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

-94.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 BTN 14.8K

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

-90.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,737 BTN 640.4K

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

146.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$399 BTN 37.9K

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

-82.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$348 BTN 33.1K

$164 Rp 3.0M

112.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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

Last update for Thimphu: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Thimphu

$126 24.1%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 130% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thimphu

$94 18%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 10.8% $10

Accommodation & Living

Thimphu

$89 17.1%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 655% $583

Clothing & Footwear

Thimphu

$71 13.6%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 51.4% $37

Eating Out

Thimphu

$71 13.5%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 52.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Thimphu

$55 10.5%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 6.5% $3.5

Getting Around

Thimphu

$17 3.3%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 33% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $128 in Thimphu and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thimphu pays about 2.1 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $14 in Thimphu vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $126 vs $288 per month, with Thimphu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇹 Thimphu

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

13:22 1:22 PM

2 h ahead of Thimphu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

98,676 Capital

74,800

💱 Currency

Bhutanese Ngultrum BTN Nu.

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BTN = 10.52 USD

1,000 BTN = 9.42 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to BTN – Bhutanese Ngultrum Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇹 Bhutanese Ngultrum (Nu.)

Bhutanese Ngultrum exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 95.05 BTN (100 BTN = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 BTN (1,000 BTN = 9.42 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to BTN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Thimphu Ubud, Bali 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Thimphu
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $522 in Thimphu and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, so Thimphu is about 61% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Thimphu is about 2.1 times higher, 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: $128 in Thimphu versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Thimphu – a meal for two runs $14 versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $522 per month in Thimphu versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – Thimphu is about 61% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $522 in Thimphu versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Thimphu but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Thimphu 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, Thimphu and Ubud, Bali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Thimphu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.