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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,109 in Koh Tao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,987 in Koh Tao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,866 in Koh Tao.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 30% more expensive than Koh Tao, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Koh Tao is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.6K

$3.92 ฿127

-8.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 562.6K

$38.53 ฿1,253

-15.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.5K

$7.52 ฿244

-32.58%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 48.8K

$2.52 ฿81.8

12.30%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.1K

$0.62 ฿20.18

116.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.33 ฿10.80

109.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.6K

$2.12 ฿69.0

41.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.4K

$3.09 ฿100

24.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.1K

$2.07 ฿67.3

-15.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 43.8K

$1.78 ฿57.9

42.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$2.16 ฿70.2

-44.91%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 41.9K

$2.20 ฿71.6

10.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 253.2K

$18.88 ฿614

-22.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.1K

$3.49 ฿114

19.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.1K

$12.74 ฿414

-6.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.6K

$3.08 ฿100

19.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

$1.56 ฿50.7

3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.4K

$2.21 ฿72.0

21.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.2K

$1.89 ฿61.3

23.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 32.9K

$1.52 ฿49.31

25.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.7K

$1.37 ฿44.65

59.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.92 ฿29.99

15.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.50 ฿16.15

44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.1K

$4.11 ฿134

-23.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 405.6K

$18.41 ฿598

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.3K

$1.71 ฿55.5

60.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.7K

$2.53 ฿82.4

13.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,010

$1.28 ฿41.54

-77.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,834

$2.85 ฿92.6

-84.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,278

$0.89 ฿28.98

-52.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.3K

$12.71 ฿413

-51.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.5K

$1.23 ฿40.08

-31.71%

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

$26.2K Rp 453.1M

$25.0K ฿811.5K

5.13%

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

$32.5K Rp 560.8M

$29.6K ฿963.6K

9.57%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$122 ฿3,973

-35.84%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.2K

$13.66 ฿444

-71.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 421.4K

$18.27 ฿594

33.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$63.7 ฿2,072

51.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 109.6K

$17.81 ฿579

-64.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 69.7K

$9.50 ฿309

-57.47%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$685 ฿22.3K

-55.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 112.6M

$16.1K ฿524.4K

-59.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 929.5K

$59.6 ฿1,936

-9.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 655.8K

$34.31 ฿1,115

10.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$113 ฿3,670

-23.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$84.0 ฿2,730

-6.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$464 ฿15.1K

117.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.6M

$335 ฿10.9K

101.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.5M

$1,552 ฿50.4K

118.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.2M

$1,137 ฿37.0K

84.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.5M

$2,834 ฿92.1K

5.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.4M

$2,035 ฿66.2K

14.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 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 28, 2026

Last update for Koh Tao: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $464 in Koh Tao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $39.00 in Koh Tao. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $279, with Koh Tao 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 Tao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,158 in Ubud, Bali and $1,663 in Koh Tao 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $464 in Koh Tao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $685 in Koh Tao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Tao – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,109 in Koh Tao versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Koh Tao but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Tao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Koh Tao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Koh Tao 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 Tao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.