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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,113 in Koh Tao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,956 in Koh Tao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,800 in Koh Tao.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 25% more expensive than in Koh Tao, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Koh Tao is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.6K

$3.85 ฿129

-7.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 584.4K

$39.84 ฿1,333

-18.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.5K

$7.47 ฿250

-32.93%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

$2.61 ฿87.1

8.05%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.61 ฿20.48

121.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.31 ฿10.29

135.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$2.05 ฿68.7

42.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.2K

$3.21 ฿107

22.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

$2.10 ฿70.3

-15.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.3K

$1.80 ฿60.3

36.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.8K

$2.12 ฿70.8

-45.75%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

$2.13 ฿71.2

13.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 259.1K

$18.88 ฿632

-24.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.7K

$3.56 ฿119

17.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 218.1K

$12.67 ฿424

-4.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.8K

$3.22 ฿108

13.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.61 ฿53.7

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.4K

$2.25 ฿75.4

24.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.92 ฿64.4

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.8K

$1.51 ฿50.4

31.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

$1.36 ฿45.43

67.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

$0.92 ฿30.86

14.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.46 ฿15.42

71.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.7K

$4.13 ฿138

-22.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.8K

$17.32 ฿579

35.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.4K

$1.76 ฿58.9

64.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.8K

$2.55 ฿85.2

8.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,821

$1.28 ฿42.93

-78.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,180

$2.75 ฿92.0

-83.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,311

$0.89 ฿29.84

-48.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.7K

$12.59 ฿421

-51.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.22 ฿40.70

-29.51%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.7M

$24.8K ฿828.7K

7.32%

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

$32.5K Rp 588.6M

$30.5K ฿1.0M

6.68%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$123 ฿4,098

-35.50%

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

$4.09 Rp 74.0K

$13.89 ฿465

-70.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 431.2K

$18.69 ฿625

27.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$64.9 ฿2,170

52.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.9K

$17.90 ฿599

-64.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.5K

$9.34 ฿313

-57.07%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$698 ฿23.3K

-57.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.4M

$15.6K ฿523.1K

-57.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 966.0K

$57.9 ฿1,937

-7.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 689.2K

$34.05 ฿1,139

11.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$113 ฿3,796

-21.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$83.8 ฿2,804

-8.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$470 ฿15.7K

116.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$335 ฿11.2K

103.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.7M

$1,543 ฿51.6K

124.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.8M

$1,105 ฿37.0K

89.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$2,651 ฿88.7K

2.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.5M

$1,875 ฿62.7K

22.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Koh Tao: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $470 in Koh Tao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $40.00 in Koh Tao. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $278, 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 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,088 in Ubud, Bali and $1,669 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $470 in Koh Tao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $698 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 $40.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,113 in Koh Tao versus $1,392 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 25% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.