Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Hat Yai Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Hat Yai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,379 in Ubud, Bali versus $736 in Hat Yai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,363 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,330 in Hat Yai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,347 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,923 in Hat Yai.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 87% more expensive than in Hat Yai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Hat Yai is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.31 Rp 58.9K

$3.05 ฿100

8.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.08 Rp 694.5K

$45.98 ฿1,509

-15.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 Rp 99.8K

$3.80 ฿125

47.89%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.9K

$2.80 ฿91.8

-5.71%

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

$1.58 Rp 28.2K

$1.33 ฿43.61

18.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.6K

$0.54 ฿17.74

31.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 Rp 48.5K

$1.77 ฿58.0

54.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 Rp 76.8K

$3.71 ฿122

16.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 Rp 27.4K

$1.48 ฿48.58

4.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 40.8K

$1.22 ฿40.06

88.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

$1.32 ฿43.22

-21.97%

Eggs

$2.12 Rp 37.7K

$2.47 ฿81.2

-14.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.30 Rp 307.5K

$22.86 ฿750

-24.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 71.6K

$2.41 ฿79.1

67.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.42 Rp 220.8K

$11.31 ฿371

9.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 Rp 65.7K

$2.62 ฿86.0

41.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.40 ฿45.88

15.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.3K

$2.00 ฿65.6

13.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 Rp 35.4K

$1.72 ฿56.3

15.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 Rp 32.5K

$1.53 ฿50.3

19.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 Rp 40.1K

$1.08 ฿35.44

108.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 Rp 18.6K

$1.54 ฿50.6

-32.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 Rp 10.0K

$0.40 ฿13.17

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 39.5K

$4.47 ฿147

-50.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.22 Rp 412.7K

$15.34 ฿503

51.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 Rp 42.5K

$1.75 ฿57.5

36.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 Rp 51.1K

$1.94 ฿63.8

47.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,416

$0.59 ฿19.22

-57.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.17 Rp 127.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,163

$1.18 ฿38.59

-61.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,235

$1.15 ฿37.70

-60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 Rp 101.2K

$4.01 ฿131

42.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$1.36 ฿44.68

-44.12%

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

$24.6K Rp 436.7M

$18.6K ฿611.0K

31.95%

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

$31.0K Rp 551.5M

$45.8K ฿1.5M

-32.19%

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

$82.2 Rp 1.5M

$85.9 ฿2,819

-4.35%

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

$6.33 Rp 112.5K

$12.52 ฿411

-49.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.54 Rp 329.6K

$9.93 ฿326

86.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 Rp 996.2K

$47.73 ฿1,566

17.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.41 Rp 327.2K

$14.31 ฿470

28.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 Rp 75.8K

$7.60 ฿249

-43.95%

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

$489 Rp 8.7M

$575 ฿18.9K

-14.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,793 Rp 103.0M

$11.3K ฿369.3K

-48.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.98 Rp 817.3K

$38.50 ฿1,263

19.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.86 Rp 637.4K

$27.17 ฿892

31.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 Rp 1.4M

$71.3 ฿2,339

11.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 Rp 1.4M

$99.8 ฿3,274

-18.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 Rp 20.3M

$270 ฿8,868

323.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 Rp 12.3M

$113 ฿3,717

510.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,532 Rp 62.8M

$732 ฿24.0K

382.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 Rp 30.4M

$400 ฿13.1K

326.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,785 Rp 49.5M

$2,002 ฿65.7K

39.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,261 Rp 40.2M

$1,592 ฿52.2K

42.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$466 ฿15.3K

-63.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.36

116.67%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 15, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,144 in Ubud, Bali and $270 in Hat Yai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hat Yai pays 175% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $46.00 in Hat Yai. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $256, with Hat Yai cheaper for home cooking.

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 Hat Yai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hat Yai wins on cost – living expenses run 87% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hat Yai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 175% lower in Hat Yai. 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: $1,144 in Ubud, Bali versus $270 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $489 in Ubud, Bali versus $575 in Hat Yai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hat Yai – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $736 in Hat Yai versus $1,379 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hat Yai but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Hat Yai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hat Yai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $736 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hat Yai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.