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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $885 in Samut Sakhon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,390 in Samut Sakhon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,896 in Samut Sakhon.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 60% more expensive than Samut Sakhon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Samut Sakhon is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

$1.83 ฿60.0

94.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

$18.81 ฿617

74.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.3K

$6.09 ฿200

-18.72%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

$1.19 ฿39.20

127.73%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

$0.35 ฿11.64

282.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.32 ฿10.60

118.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

$1.92 ฿63.1

52.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

$2.48 ฿81.3

59.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

$1.69 ฿55.4

7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$1.41 ฿46.31

78.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

$1.32 ฿43.36

-12.12%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

$2.33 ฿76.6

5.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

$15.44 ฿506

-4.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

$3.29 ฿108

31.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

$11.40 ฿374

6.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

$3.26 ฿107

17.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.33 ฿43.77

17.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

$1.91 ฿62.8

48.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.40 ฿46.08

66.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

$1.47 ฿48.35

29.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

$1.20 ฿39.49

83.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

$1.68 ฿55.2

-39.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$0.57 ฿18.81

36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

$4.74 ฿155

-29.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 428.1K

$17.10 ฿561

38.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$1.83 ฿60.1

52.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

$2.36 ฿77.5

21.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,848

$0.38 ฿12.39

-28.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,231

$1.06 ฿34.75

-56.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,117

$1.25 ฿41.04

-64.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

$3.45 ฿113

76.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$1.20 ฿39.39

-34.17%

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

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

$25.9K ฿849.4K

1.01%

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

$32.1K Rp 579.3M

$26.7K ฿875.5K

20.37%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$76.9 ฿2,522

4.02%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

$13.81 ฿453

-70.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 424.2K

$18.16 ฿596

29.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$49.11 ฿1,611

100.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

$12.35 ฿405

-46.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

$7.90 ฿259

-47.47%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$296 ฿9,704

2.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

$9,193 ฿301.6K

-28.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$30.08 ฿987

84.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

$19.54 ฿641

96.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$99.5 ฿3,264

-10.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$43.33 ฿1,422

79.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.2M

$426 ฿14.0K

136.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.2M

$286 ฿9,370

136.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

$807 ฿26.5K

326.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

$667 ฿21.9K

205.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

$2,265 ฿74.3K

25.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

$1,507 ฿49.5K

50.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Samut Sakhon: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $426 in Samut Sakhon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $19.00 in Samut Sakhon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $250 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, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,129 in Ubud, Bali and $1,328 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $426 in Samut Sakhon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $296 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 $19.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $885 in Samut Sakhon versus $1,419 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 60% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.