Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Cha-am

For one person, living is cheaper in Cha-am: $871 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Cha-am
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Cha-am Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Cha-am

🇹🇭 Thailand

$871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Cha-am

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Cha-am actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $871 in Cha-am.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Cha-am $871

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,405 in Cha-am.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Cha-am $1,405

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,940 in Cha-am.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Cha-am $1,940

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 55% more expensive than in Cha-am, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$2.98 ฿101

11.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

$22.18 ฿748

60.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

$7.35 ฿248

-24.76%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$2.01 ฿68.0

35.32%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$0.69 ฿23.33

146.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.35 ฿11.68

117.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

$2.44 ฿82.3

8.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$2.93 ฿98.9

49.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$1.74 ฿58.6

-14.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$1.47 ฿49.73

55.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$1.33 ฿44.92

-10.53%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$1.87 ฿63.2

9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

$12.37 ฿418

43.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$2.53 ฿85.2

56.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

$9.97 ฿336

22.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

$3.37 ฿114

8.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$1.21 ฿40.99

25.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$1.90 ฿64.0

17.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$1.81 ฿61.1

8.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$1.74 ฿58.7

6.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$1.08 ฿36.60

124.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$1.20 ฿40.51

-17.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,313

$0.44 ฿14.80

15.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$4.26 ฿144

-47.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

$17.95 ฿606

23.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$1.67 ฿56.4

35.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$2.86 ฿96.5

3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,553

$0.91 ฿30.60

-72.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

$22.60 ฿763

-65.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,972

$1.34 ฿45.26

-67.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,801

$1.08 ฿36.47

-60.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

$3.61 ฿122

49.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$1.37 ฿46.38

-40.15%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

$16.3K ฿551.3K

45.96%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

$26.5K ฿892.8K

20.01%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$80.9 ฿2,731

-2.29%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

$11.74 ฿396

-45.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

$23.19 ฿783

-19.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

$23.97 ฿809

106.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

$5.88 ฿198

200.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

$6.70 ฿226

-36.27%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$615 ฿20.8K

-20.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

$10.6K ฿358.6K

-46.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

$51.0 ฿1,721

-12.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

$28.67 ฿968

21.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$72.2 ฿2,437

10.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$53.1 ฿1,790

49.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$368 ฿12.4K

205.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$267 ฿9,015

151.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$752 ฿25.4K

373.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$651 ฿22.0K

164.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$362 ฿12.2K

-54.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

5.96

131.21%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cha-am: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Cha-am

$267 30.7% 60.2% $404

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Cha-am

$233 26.7% 19.3% $56

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Cha-am

$92 10.6% 14.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Cha-am

$92 10.6% 14.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Cha-am

$116 13.3% 11.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Cha-am

$37 4.3% 35.6% $21

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Cha-am

$33 3.8% 189% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $368 in Cha-am. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cha-am pays about 2.2 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $22 in Cha-am for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $233 per month, with Cha-am cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇹🇭 Cha-am

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

11:06 11:06 AM

1 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

31,354

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

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).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Cha-am 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Cha-am

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $871 in Cha-am, so Cha-am is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Ubud, Bali. 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: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $368 in Cha-am. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $871 in Cha-am – Cha-am is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 65% less than in Cha-am. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $871 in Cha-am versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Cha-am but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Cha-am 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 Cha-am are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.