Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Sakon Nakhon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakon Nakhon: $896 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Sakon Nakhon
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Sakon Nakhon Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Sakon Nakhon

🇹🇭 Thailand

$896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $896 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Sakon Nakhon $896

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,416 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Sakon Nakhon $1,416

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,937 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Sakon Nakhon $1,937

Ubud, Bali costs about 51% more than Sakon Nakhon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$1.46 ฿49.20

127.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 647.3K

$14.98 ฿505

137.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.5K

$2.89 ฿97.5

91.35%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

$1.46 ฿49.23

86.30%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$0.73 ฿24.55

132.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.25 ฿8.38

204.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

$2.01 ฿67.9

31.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

$2.12 ฿71.5

106.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$2.38 ฿80.1

-37.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$1.28 ฿43.15

78.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$1.21 ฿40.73

-1.65%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

$2.10 ฿70.7

-2.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.5K

$10.51 ฿354

68.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 72.0K

$2.48 ฿83.7

59.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.4K

$10.38 ฿350

17.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

$3.11 ฿105

17.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

$1.16 ฿39.24

31.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$2.13 ฿71.9

4.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$1.86 ฿62.8

5.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

$1.46 ฿49.20

26.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$1.45 ฿48.72

66.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$0.54 ฿18.25

83.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,324

$0.51 ฿17.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

$4.35 ฿147

-48.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.9K

$17.49 ฿589

27.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$1.66 ฿56.0

36.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$2.76 ฿93.0

7.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,559

$0.87 ฿29.25

-71.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,982

$1.46 ฿49.31

-69.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,811

$1.10 ฿37.19

-60.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.2K

$5.36 ฿181

0.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$1.26 ฿42.54

-34.92%

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

$23.8K Rp 433.0M

$26.3K ฿887.7K

-9.49%

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

$31.7K Rp 576.6M

$27.4K ฿921.7K

16.08%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$83.2 ฿2,803

-4.95%

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

$6.45 Rp 117.1K

$10.13 ฿342

-36.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.4K

$15.68 ฿528

18.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 898.7K

$48.92 ฿1,649

1.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.5K

$12.06 ฿407

46.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.6K

$3.54 ฿119

20.62%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$660 ฿22.2K

-25.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 103.0M

$11.0K ฿370.3K

-48.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 810.7K

$19.47 ฿656

129.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.8K

$6.67 ฿225

423.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$118 ฿3,988

-32.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$74.1 ฿2,497

7.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$410 ฿13.8K

174.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$336 ฿11.3K

99.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$1,219 ฿41.1K

192.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$752 ฿25.4K

129.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

$2,173 ฿73.2K

25.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

$1,814 ฿61.1K

25.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$741 ฿25.0K

-77.89%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Sakon Nakhon: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Sakon Nakhon

$336 37.5% 49.9% $335

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Sakon Nakhon

$230 25.6% 20.4% $59

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Sakon Nakhon

$56 6.3% 47.9% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Sakon Nakhon

$98 11% 8.5% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Sakon Nakhon

$109 12.2% 4.7% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Sakon Nakhon

$56 6.3% 3.5% $2

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Sakon Nakhon

$10 * 1.2% 8.5% $1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $410 in Sakon Nakhon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sakon Nakhon are about 4.5 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $15 in Sakon Nakhon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $230 – making Sakon Nakhon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇹🇭 Sakon Nakhon

🕒 Local time

16:58 4:58 PM

15:58 3:58 PM

1 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

53,100

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,161 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,333 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Sakon Nakhon 3,100 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Sakon Nakhon

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 Sakon Nakhon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, $896 in Sakon Nakhon – Sakon Nakhon comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,343 in Sakon Nakhon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sakon Nakhon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $410 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $896 in Sakon Nakhon. That makes Sakon Nakhon about 34% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $491 per month in Ubud, Bali and $660 in Sakon Nakhon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sakon Nakhon, where all-in costs run around $896, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Sakon Nakhon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $896 in Sakon Nakhon to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.