Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Bangkok Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Bangkok

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,397 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,069 in Bangkok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,749 in Bangkok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,430 in Bangkok.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 31% more expensive than in Bangkok, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Bangkok is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.4K

$3.10 ฿105

10.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 572.4K

$30.67 ฿1,035

4.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.4K

$5.99 ฿202

-15.69%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.57 ฿86.8

5.45%

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

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$0.71 ฿24.11

95.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$0.29 ฿9.86

155.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 51.8K

$2.52 ฿85.2

14.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 67.9K

$3.90 ฿132

-2.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.1K

$1.80 ฿60.8

-0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

$1.41 ฿47.58

78.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.7K

$1.43 ฿48.10

-15.38%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

$2.22 ฿74.9

6.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 258.4K

$18.18 ฿613

-20.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$3.09 ฿104

34.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 216.9K

$9.56 ฿323

26.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.5K

$3.46 ฿117

8.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$1.71 ฿57.7

-4.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$2.21 ฿74.6

22.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

$1.92 ฿64.8

17.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$1.66 ฿56.2

16.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

$1.42 ฿47.96

54.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.2K

$1.30 ฿43.98

-21.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$0.49 ฿16.69

46.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.0K

$4.39 ฿148

-27.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 426.8K

$18.08 ฿610

31.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.7K

$1.86 ฿62.9

48.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$3.26 ฿110

-15.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$1.24 ฿42.00

-78.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 146.8K

$37.00 ฿1,249

-77.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,653

$1.06 ฿35.80

-54.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$1.19 ฿40.11

-64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 107.9K

$6.04 ฿204

-0.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.20 ฿40.62

-31.67%

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

$26.6K Rp 475.6M

$36.7K ฿1.2M

-27.68%

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

$32.2K Rp 576.6M

$28.5K ฿960.8K

13.12%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$91.2 ฿3,077

-14.16%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.1K

$12.60 ฿425

-68.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 428.2K

$17.51 ฿591

36.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$52.7 ฿1,779

82.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 116.8K

$10.32 ฿348

-36.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 71.9K

$7.85 ฿265

-48.92%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$597 ฿20.1K

-49.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.3M

$13.1K ฿443.5K

-50.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 990.4K

$58.8 ฿1,985

-5.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 686.1K

$38.02 ฿1,283

0.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$106 ฿3,580

-16.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$92.5 ฿3,122

-17.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.6M

$677 ฿22.9K

45.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.2M

$321 ฿10.8K

112.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.2M

$1,915 ฿64.6K

78.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.1M

$853 ฿28.8K

143.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.5M

$6,042 ฿203.9K

-54.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.2M

$3,306 ฿111.6K

-32.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$621 ฿21.0K

-72.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

5.84

127.40%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 22, 2026

Last update for Bangkok: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $677 in Bangkok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok pays 268% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $31.00 in Bangkok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $262 per month, with Bangkok 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

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

Ubud, Bali and Bangkok differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,397 vs $1,069 including rent). Bangkok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 268% lower in Bangkok. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $677 in Bangkok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bangkok – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,397 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,069 in Bangkok – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,069 in Bangkok versus $1,397 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bangkok but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Bangkok 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, Ubud, Bali and Bangkok 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 Bangkok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.