Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Koh Lanta Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Koh Lanta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,395 in Ubud, Bali versus $978 in Koh Lanta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,559 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,737 in Koh Lanta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,724 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,497 in Koh Lanta.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 43% more expensive than Koh Lanta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Koh Lanta is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 Rp 59.7K

$3.77 ฿121

-7.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.88 Rp 564.0K

$36.28 ฿1,163

-9.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 Rp 87.3K

$6.86 ฿220

-25.80%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 47.1K

$2.47 ฿79.2

11.34%

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

$1.38 Rp 23.7K

$0.56 ฿17.94

146.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$0.29 ฿9.23

144.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 Rp 49.4K

$1.98 ฿63.5

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 Rp 66.4K

$2.90 ฿92.8

33.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 30.7K

$1.95 ฿62.4

-8.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 42.0K

$1.70 ฿54.6

44.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.7K

$2.05 ฿65.7

-40.98%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 40.9K

$2.00 ฿64.0

19.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 Rp 252.1K

$17.35 ฿556

-15.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 Rp 72.7K

$3.23 ฿104

31.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 Rp 207.1K

$11.84 ฿379

2.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 62.9K

$2.90 ฿93.1

26.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.6K

$1.46 ฿46.72

10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 Rp 46.6K

$2.14 ฿68.5

27.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 39.0K

$1.80 ฿57.8

26.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$1.39 ฿44.63

36.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 Rp 39.4K

$1.29 ฿41.36

78.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 17.4K

$0.87 ฿27.81

17.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.4K

$0.43 ฿13.71

81.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 Rp 55.7K

$3.92 ฿126

-17.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.06 Rp 412.7K

$17.63 ฿565

36.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 48.7K

$1.67 ฿53.5

70.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 47.8K

$2.45 ฿78.5

13.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,610

$1.14 ฿36.53

-76.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.24 Rp 141.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,708

$2.49 ฿80.0

-81.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,305

$0.78 ฿25.03

-44.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 Rp 103.3K

$11.13 ฿357

-45.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 14.7K

$1.08 ฿34.55

-20.37%

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

$26.1K Rp 447.1M

$22.2K ฿711.0K

17.53%

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

$31.7K Rp 543.7M

$26.3K ฿842.4K

20.64%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.3M

$116 ฿3,725

-32.58%

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

$4.00 Rp 68.5K

$12.97 ฿416

-69.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.35 Rp 417.7K

$17.34 ฿556

40.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.8 Rp 1.6M

$50.9 ฿1,633

88.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.46 Rp 110.7K

$14.15 ฿454

-54.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 68.7K

$7.66 ฿246

-47.65%

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

$302 Rp 5.2M

$630 ฿20.2K

-52.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,545 Rp 112.3M

$14.5K ฿465.3K

-54.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 916.3K

$56.4 ฿1,810

-5.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 Rp 661.2K

$32.77 ฿1,051

17.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 Rp 1.5M

$107 ฿3,441

-17.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$79.2 ฿2,538

-0.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 Rp 17.4M

$364 ฿11.7K

179.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 Rp 11.5M

$266 ฿8,519

152.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,368 Rp 57.8M

$1,217 ฿39.0K

176.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,108 Rp 36.2M

$908 ฿29.1K

132.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,001 Rp 51.5M

$2,234 ฿71.6K

34.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,337 Rp 40.1M

$1,585 ฿50.8K

47.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$178 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

5.33

149.16%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 12, 2026

Last update for Koh Lanta: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Ubud, Bali and $364 in Koh Lanta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $36 in Koh Lanta. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $261, with Koh Lanta 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 Koh Lanta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Koh Lanta differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,395 vs $978 including rent). Koh Lanta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,092 in Ubud, Bali and $1,467 in Koh Lanta to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,016 in Ubud, Bali versus $364 in Koh Lanta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 in Ubud, Bali versus $630 in Koh Lanta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Lanta – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $978 in Koh Lanta versus $1,395 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koh Lanta but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Lanta 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 Koh Lanta 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 Koh Lanta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.