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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,062 in Bangkok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,582 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,731 in Bangkok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,757 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,399 in Bangkok.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 33% more expensive than Bangkok, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Bangkok is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 Rp 58.5K

$3.12 ฿100

9.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 Rp 564.6K

$30.73 ฿986

7.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 Rp 87.0K

$6.33 ฿203

-19.75%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 48.4K

$2.50 ฿80.2

12.80%

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

$1.37 Rp 23.5K

$0.73 ฿23.56

87.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.1K

$0.29 ฿9.32

144.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 Rp 50.8K

$2.51 ฿80.5

18.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 Rp 67.0K

$4.09 ฿131

-4.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 Rp 29.9K

$1.85 ฿59.2

-5.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 43.1K

$1.34 ฿43.10

88.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.7K

$1.48 ฿47.52

-18.24%

Eggs

$2.33 Rp 40.0K

$2.19 ฿70.1

6.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 248.3K

$18.59 ฿597

-22.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 Rp 74.6K

$3.11 ฿100.0

40.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.05 Rp 206.3K

$9.59 ฿308

25.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 Rp 65.4K

$3.45 ฿111

10.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.6K

$1.72 ฿55.1

-6.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 Rp 46.3K

$2.24 ฿71.8

20.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 38.2K

$1.93 ฿62.0

15.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.5K

$1.66 ฿53.2

14.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 37.4K

$1.47 ฿47.17

48.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 17.6K

$1.34 ฿43.03

-23.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.2K

$0.53 ฿17.14

45.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 54.5K

$4.47 ฿143

-28.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.23 Rp 397.8K

$16.87 ฿541

37.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 Rp 48.8K

$1.78 ฿57.0

60.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 Rp 46.6K

$3.40 ฿109

-20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,005

$1.26 ฿40.30

-76.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.43 Rp 144.3K

$37.65 ฿1,208

-77.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,316

$1.06 ฿34.02

-53.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,785

$1.16 ฿37.18

-61.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 Rp 107.5K

$6.00 ฿193

4.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 14.5K

$1.18 ฿37.98

-27.97%

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

$26.1K Rp 446.3M

$36.9K ฿1.2M

-29.37%

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

$31.5K Rp 540.0M

$28.4K ฿910.1K

11.17%

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

$79.8 Rp 1.4M

$92.0 ฿2,952

-13.29%

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

$4.09 Rp 70.0K

$12.93 ฿415

-68.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.06 Rp 412.2K

$17.50 ฿562

37.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.6M

$53.4 ฿1,715

80.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 111.8K

$10.35 ฿332

-36.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 Rp 70.8K

$7.50 ฿241

-44.93%

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

$297 Rp 5.1M

$613 ฿19.7K

-51.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,661 Rp 114.1M

$13.1K ฿418.9K

-48.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 Rp 941.3K

$57.9 ฿1,856

-5.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.75 Rp 663.7K

$38.26 ฿1,228

1.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 Rp 1.5M

$105 ฿3,373

-14.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$93.0 ฿2,983

-15.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 Rp 17.4M

$686 ฿22.0K

48.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 Rp 11.3M

$317 ฿10.2K

108.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 Rp 58.8M

$1,885 ฿60.5K

82.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 Rp 35.2M

$846 ฿27.1K

142.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,981 Rp 51.1M

$6,088 ฿195.4K

-51.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,368 Rp 40.6M

$3,261 ฿104.7K

-27.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 Rp 2.9M

$766 ฿24.6K

-77.55%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Bangkok: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Ubud, Bali and $686 in Bangkok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok pays 345% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $31 in Bangkok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $1,062 including rent). Bangkok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bangkok earns 345% less. 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: $1,018 in Ubud, Bali versus $686 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 $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,408 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,062 in Bangkok – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,062 in Bangkok versus $1,408 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 33% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.