Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Nakhon Ratchasima

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima: $777 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Nakhon Ratchasima
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Nakhon Ratchasima Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Nakhon Ratchasima

🇹🇭 Thailand

$777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Nakhon Ratchasima

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 Nakhon Ratchasima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $777 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Nakhon Ratchasima $777

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,275 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Nakhon Ratchasima $1,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,773 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Nakhon Ratchasima $1,773

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 74% more expensive than in Nakhon Ratchasima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Nakhon Ratchasima is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$2.84 ฿94.9

13.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$26.08 ฿871

33.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$6.01 ฿201

-5.16%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$1.92 ฿64.2

36.46%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$0.57 ฿19.14

201.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.29 ฿9.65

179.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$1.83 ฿61.1

44.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$2.75 ฿92.0

58.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.59 ฿53.2

-1.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$1.27 ฿42.52

72.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.23 ฿40.98

-4.07%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$1.50 ฿50.2

44.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$15.63 ฿522

12.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$2.66 ฿88.9

42.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$10.10 ฿338

18.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$3.10 ฿104

16.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.28 ฿42.68

24.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$1.86 ฿62.1

24.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.95 ฿65.1

-2.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.20 ฿40.24

48.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.03 ฿34.37

126.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$1.23 ฿41.02

-18.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$0.38 ฿12.60

39.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$2.89 ฿96.7

-20.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$17.65 ฿590

25.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$1.71 ฿57.2

37.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$2.99 ฿100.0

-0.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$0.43 ฿14.40

-46.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

$18.99 ฿635

-53.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$1.02 ฿34.03

-53.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$1.13 ฿37.66

-61.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$7.30 ฿244

-25.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.35 ฿45.03

-38.52%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$46.6K ฿1.6M

-48.80%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$26.6K ฿889.2K

23.22%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$86.1 ฿2,877

-7.09%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$11.39 ฿381

-42.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$19.25 ฿643

-3.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$46.92 ฿1,568

15.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

$14.91 ฿498

22.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$4.71 ฿158

-9.77%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$180 ฿6,020

173.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$14.1K ฿470.9K

-60.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$49.69 ฿1,661

-8.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$29.73 ฿994

17.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$78.9 ฿2,637

-1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$67.1 ฿2,243

16.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$217 ฿7,263

420.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$158 ฿5,292

324.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$496 ฿16.6K

628.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$420 ฿14.1K

304.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

$3,287 ฿109.9K

-17.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$1,737 ฿58.1K

28.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$615 ฿20.6K

-72.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

5.1

170.20%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$158 20.4% 76.5% $515

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$235 30.3% 18.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$101 13.1% 4.8% $5.1

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$82 10.5% 23% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$117 15% 11% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$56 7.3% 10% $6.3

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$27 3.5% 120% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali and $217 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nakhon Ratchasima pays 270% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $26.00 in Nakhon Ratchasima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $235 per month, with Nakhon Ratchasima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇹🇭 Nakhon Ratchasima

🕒 Local time

15:05 3:05 PM

14:05 2:05 PM

1 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

126,391

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 25, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ubud, Bali Nakhon Ratchasima 2,990 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Nakhon Ratchasima

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 Nakhon Ratchasima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Nakhon Ratchasima differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($1,353 vs $777 including rent). Nakhon Ratchasima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 270% lower in Nakhon Ratchasima. 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: $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $217 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $777 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nakhon Ratchasima but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.