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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $854 in Chiang Rai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,296 in Chiang Rai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,738 in Chiang Rai.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 66% more expensive than Chiang Rai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Chiang Rai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$2.02 ฿65.9

76.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$15.11 ฿494

116.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$6.29 ฿205

-21.30%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$1.42 ฿46.44

90.85%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.57 ฿18.49

135.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.28 ฿9.05

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$1.86 ฿60.8

56.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$3.73 ฿122

6.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.65 ฿54.0

9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.58 ฿51.6

59.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.20 ฿39.16

-3.33%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$1.89 ฿61.7

30.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$15.89 ฿519

-7.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$3.14 ฿102

37.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$10.87 ฿355

11.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$2.51 ฿81.8

52.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.04 ฿34.04

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$1.68 ฿54.9

68.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$0.95 ฿31.10

145.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$1.34 ฿43.60

42.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$1.11 ฿36.19

98.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.67 ฿21.78

50.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.53 ฿17.25

47.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$3.74 ฿122

-11.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$18.59 ฿607

27.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.76 ฿57.4

58.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$3.17 ฿104

-9.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.80 ฿26.26

-66.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$23.40 ฿764

-65.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$1.37 ฿44.74

-66.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$1.29 ฿42.03

-65.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$8.17 ฿267

-25.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.24 ฿40.50

-36.29%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$20.6K ฿673.2K

26.87%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$22.2K ฿724.0K

44.88%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$50.4 ฿1,645

58.74%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$14.20 ฿464

-71.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$15.52 ฿507

51.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$50.1 ฿1,636

97.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$12.38 ฿404

-46.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$3.64 ฿119

14.01%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$310 ฿10.1K

-2.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$7,725 ฿252.3K

-14.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$56.3 ฿1,840

-1.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$26.75 ฿874

43.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$72.6 ฿2,371

22.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$70.1 ฿2,290

11.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$271 ฿8,857

271.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$260 ฿8,506

159.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$766 ฿25.0K

349.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$495 ฿16.2K

312.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$1,984 ฿64.8K

43.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$991 ฿32.4K

128.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$603 ฿19.7K

-72.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

165.60%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Rai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $271 in Chiang Rai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Rai pays 265% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $15.00 in Chiang Rai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $238 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 66% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $854 including rent). Chiang Rai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Chiang Rai earns 265% 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $271 in Chiang Rai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $310 in Chiang Rai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $854 in Chiang Rai versus $1,419 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 66% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.