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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $747 in Hat Yai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,339 in Hat Yai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,930 in Hat Yai.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Hat Yai is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$3.03 ฿98.5

17.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$46.90 ฿1,527

-30.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$4.22 ฿137

15.17%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$2.80 ฿91.1

-1.79%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$1.16 ฿37.70

13.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.44 ฿14.46

59.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$1.87 ฿60.9

55.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$3.65 ฿119

3.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.53 ฿49.78

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$1.29 ฿42.15

91.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$1.29 ฿42.01

-6.98%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$2.55 ฿83.1

-4.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$22.59 ฿736

-36.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$2.32 ฿75.5

85.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$11.32 ฿369

7.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$2.60 ฿84.5

41.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.50 ฿48.76

3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$2.04 ฿66.6

36.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$1.58 ฿51.4

47.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$1.48 ฿48.22

33.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$1.07 ฿34.69

115.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.01 ฿33.01

4.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.38 ฿12.46

92.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$4.57 ฿149

-28.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$15.17 ฿494

50.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$1.83 ฿59.7

53.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.97 ฿64.2

41.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.59 ฿19.30

-50.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$1.07 ฿34.73

-57.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$1.20 ฿38.93

-62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$6.19 ฿202

0.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.31 ฿42.77

-35.11%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$19.5K ฿633.6K

33.54%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$46.7K ฿1.5M

-32.28%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$87.8 ฿2,860

-8.06%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$13.53 ฿441

-69.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$10.04 ฿327

143.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$48.52 ฿1,580

101.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$12.16 ฿396

-46.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$7.34 ฿239

-44.96%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$298 ฿9,697

2.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$9,475 ฿308.6K

-30.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$38.13 ฿1,242

42.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$28.01 ฿912

38.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$72.6 ฿2,365

18.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$70.3 ฿2,291

9.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$272 ฿8,849

262.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$111 ฿3,614

492.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$762 ฿24.8K

341.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$406 ฿13.2K

408.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$2,004 ฿65.3K

36.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$1,494 ฿48.7K

49.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$474 ฿15.5K

-65.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

6.36

108.81%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $272 in Hat Yai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hat Yai pays 190% 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 $47.00 in Hat Yai. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $254, 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 88% 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, Hat Yai earns 190% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $272 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $298 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 $47.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $747 in Hat Yai versus $1,404 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 $747 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 88% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.