Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Samut Sakhon Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Samut Sakhon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,397 in Ubud, Bali versus $882 in Samut Sakhon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,412 in Samut Sakhon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,942 in Samut Sakhon.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 58% more expensive than in Samut Sakhon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Samut Sakhon is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.4K

$1.81 ฿61.2

89.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 572.4K

$18.22 ฿615

75.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.4K

$6.11 ฿206

-17.35%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$1.25 ฿42.34

116.80%

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

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$0.36 ฿12.10

286.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$0.32 ฿10.87

131.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 51.8K

$1.90 ฿64.0

52.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 67.9K

$2.47 ฿83.4

53.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.1K

$1.68 ฿56.7

6.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

$1.35 ฿45.66

85.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.7K

$1.33 ฿44.81

-9.02%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

$2.28 ฿77.0

3.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 258.4K

$15.49 ฿523

-6.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$3.37 ฿114

23.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 216.9K

$11.09 ฿374

9.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.5K

$3.25 ฿110

16.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$1.34 ฿45.26

21.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$1.88 ฿63.5

44.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

$1.39 ฿47.00

62.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$1.52 ฿51.2

26.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

$1.21 ฿40.98

80.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.2K

$1.71 ฿57.6

-40.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$0.58 ฿19.44

24.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.0K

$4.67 ฿158

-31.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 426.8K

$16.14 ฿545

47.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.7K

$1.84 ฿62.0

50.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.32 ฿78.2

18.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.37 ฿12.54

-27.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 146.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,653

$1.06 ฿35.74

-54.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$1.23 ฿41.49

-65.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 107.9K

$3.35 ฿113

80.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.24 ฿41.93

-33.87%

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

$26.6K Rp 475.6M

$26.3K ฿887.1K

1.06%

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

$32.2K Rp 576.6M

$27.3K ฿919.7K

18.17%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$79.7 ฿2,689

-1.78%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.1K

$14.05 ฿474

-72.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 428.2K

$18.73 ฿632

27.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$48.68 ฿1,643

97.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 116.8K

$12.26 ฿414

-46.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 71.9K

$7.61 ฿257

-47.31%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$298 ฿10.0K

1.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.3M

$9,287 ฿313.4K

-29.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 990.4K

$29.93 ฿1,010

84.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 686.1K

$19.67 ฿664

94.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$101 ฿3,407

-12.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$43.67 ฿1,474

75.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.6M

$425 ฿14.3K

131.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.2M

$289 ฿9,738

136.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.2M

$827 ฿27.9K

313.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.1M

$661 ฿22.3K

213.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.5M

$1,908 ฿64.4K

44.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.2M

$1,439 ฿48.6K

55.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

5.45

143.67%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 22, 2026

Last update for Samut Sakhon: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $425 in Samut Sakhon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $18.00 in Samut Sakhon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $247 per month, with Samut Sakhon cheaper across the board.

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 Samut Sakhon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samut Sakhon is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,096 in Ubud, Bali and $1,323 in Samut Sakhon 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $425 in Samut Sakhon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $298 in Samut Sakhon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Samut Sakhon – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $882 in Samut Sakhon versus $1,397 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Samut Sakhon but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Samut Sakhon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Samut Sakhon 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 Samut Sakhon 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 Samut Sakhon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.