Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Chiang Rai Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Chiang Rai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $735 in Chiang Rai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,157 in Chiang Rai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,580 in Chiang Rai.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 88% more expensive than in Chiang Rai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Chiang Rai is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$2.09 ฿68.7

59.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 631.0K

$15.44 ฿508

131.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.2K

$5.46 ฿180

3.11%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$1.34 ฿44.14

110.45%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$0.66 ฿21.78

165.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.28 ฿9.16

185.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$1.71 ฿56.2

77.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$3.59 ฿118

19.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$2.02 ฿66.5

-20.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 40.0K

$1.59 ฿52.3

42.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$1.24 ฿40.86

-5.65%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$1.86 ฿61.2

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.6K

$16.01 ฿526

10.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$2.92 ฿96.0

38.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.6K

$10.04 ฿330

21.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$2.67 ฿88.0

35.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$0.82 ฿27.12

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$1.57 ฿51.5

47.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$0.95 ฿31.30

106.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$1.25 ฿41.10

47.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.8K

$1.07 ฿35.18

121.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$0.74 ฿24.42

41.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,564

$0.54 ฿17.77

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$3.96 ฿130

-41.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.5K

$18.42 ฿606

25.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.73 ฿56.9

35.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$2.92 ฿95.9

5.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,366

$0.87 ฿28.56

-71.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

$22.78 ฿749

-58.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,635

$1.25 ฿40.96

-60.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,352

$0.54 ฿17.64

-12.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.7K

$2.39 ฿78.6

134.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.36 ฿44.70

-40.44%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.5M

$21.5K ฿708.4K

16.08%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.2M

$27.7K ฿911.2K

12.10%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$64.3 ฿2,115

28.57%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.3K

$13.42 ฿441

-51.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 331.0K

$14.04 ฿462

33.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 973.0K

$35.89 ฿1,180

53.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.8K

$6.09 ฿200

199.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$3.13 ฿103

37.38%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$793 ฿26.1K

-37.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$14.9K ฿489.6K

-60.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 815.2K

$56.4 ฿1,853

-17.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.9K

$25.52 ฿839

42.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$76.0 ฿2,499

6.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$73.4 ฿2,414

7.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$235 ฿7,724

374.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$155 ฿5,104

346.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$515 ฿16.9K

606.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.2M

$363 ฿11.9K

371.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$1,973 ฿64.9K

39.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$977 ฿32.1K

134.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$612 ฿20.1K

-72.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

5.57

147.40%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Chiang Rai: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $235 in Chiang Rai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Rai pays 266% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $15.00 in Chiang Rai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $237 per month, with Chiang Rai 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 Chiang Rai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Chiang Rai differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,378 vs $735 including rent). Chiang Rai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 266% lower in Chiang Rai. 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $235 in Chiang Rai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $793 in Chiang Rai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $735 in Chiang Rai versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Rai but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Rai 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 Chiang Rai 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 Chiang Rai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.