Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Koh Tao

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Tao: $1,038 a month against $1,348 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Koh Tao
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Koh Tao Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,348

/mo nomad

Koh Tao

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Koh Tao

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Koh Tao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,038 in Koh Tao.

Ubud, Bali $1,348
Koh Tao $1,038

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,312 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,702 in Koh Tao.

Ubud, Bali $2,312
Koh Tao $1,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,276 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,367 in Koh Tao.

Ubud, Bali $3,276
Koh Tao $2,367

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 30% more expensive than in Koh Tao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Koh Tao is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.6K

$3.75 ฿126

-11.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.42 Rp 633.1K

$27.47 ฿920

28.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 Rp 102.9K

$7.44 ฿249

-22.58%

Cappuccino

$2.63 Rp 47.0K

$2.29 ฿76.7

14.85%

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

$1.74 Rp 31.0K

$0.74 ฿24.85

135.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

$0.42 ฿14.14

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$2.11 ฿70.5

28.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.8K

$3.16 ฿106

43.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 Rp 27.4K

$1.56 ฿52.3

-1.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 Rp 39.2K

$1.31 ฿43.93

67.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

$1.43 ฿47.89

-14.69%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

$2.08 ฿69.6

2.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.73 Rp 316.9K

$18.59 ฿623

-4.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 Rp 68.9K

$3.11 ฿104

24.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 Rp 215.0K

$10.34 ฿346

16.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 Rp 64.5K

$2.70 ฿90.5

33.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

$1.54 ฿51.7

-1.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 Rp 41.4K

$2.16 ฿72.5

7.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

$1.95 ฿65.2

2.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.43 ฿48.03

26.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

$1.26 ฿42.12

89.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$1.06 ฿35.35

-6.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,373

$0.51 ฿17.19

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 Rp 39.0K

$4.06 ฿136

-46.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.98 Rp 410.7K

$17.40 ฿583

32.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 Rp 42.8K

$1.67 ฿56.0

43.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.6K

$2.63 ฿88.0

14.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,255

$1.97 ฿65.9

-87.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.99 Rp 125.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,876

$2.62 ฿87.6

-83.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,582

$0.91 ฿30.50

-53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 97.4K

$3.48 ฿117

56.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$1.29 ฿43.27

-34.88%

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

$24.3K Rp 434.8M

$23.8K ฿796.9K

2.20%

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

$31.9K Rp 570.0M

$24.3K ฿813.9K

31.18%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$96.6 ฿3,235

-16.35%

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

$6.58 Rp 117.6K

$11.14 ฿373

-40.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.24 Rp 326.1K

$16.85 ฿564

8.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 Rp 985.4K

$54.6 ฿1,827

1.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 Rp 330.9K

$11.61 ฿389

59.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 Rp 75.9K

$7.88 ฿264

-46.19%

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

$486 Rp 8.7M

$547 ฿18.3K

-11.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,676 Rp 101.5M

$11.4K ฿383.3K

-50.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.18 Rp 807.6K

$62.7 ฿2,100

-27.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 Rp 617.9K

$28.43 ฿952

21.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 Rp 1.4M

$96.2 ฿3,220

-17.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 Rp 1.4M

$88.2 ฿2,952

-11.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 Rp 20.1M

$535 ฿17.9K

110.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 12.1M

$354 ฿11.9K

90.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,618 Rp 64.7M

$1,533 ฿51.3K

135.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 Rp 31.0M

$897 ฿30.0K

93.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.6M

$2,660 ฿89.0K

6.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,307 Rp 41.2M

$1,917 ฿64.2K

20.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

5.57

147.40%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Last update for Koh Tao: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$674 49.6%

Koh Tao

$354 34% 47.5% $320

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.4%

Koh Tao

$252 24.2% 13.2% $38

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Koh Tao

$101 9.7% 6.2% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8%

Koh Tao

$124 11.9% 16.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8%

Koh Tao

$125 12% 18% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$64 4.7%

Koh Tao

$70 6.8% 10.5% $6.7

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.8%

Koh Tao

$15 * 1.5% 43.3% $4.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,127 in Ubud, Bali and $535 in Koh Tao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $27.00 in Koh Tao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $252 per month, with Koh Tao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇹🇭 Koh Tao

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

18:44 6:44 PM

1 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

1,382

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,030 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Koh Tao 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Koh Tao

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 and eating out. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,022 in Ubud, Bali and $1,557 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: $1,127 in Ubud, Bali versus $535 in Koh Tao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $486 in Ubud, Bali versus $547 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 $27.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,038 in Koh Tao versus $1,348 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.