Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Saraburi Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Saraburi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $815 in Saraburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,507 in Saraburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,198 in Saraburi.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 71% more expensive than in Saraburi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Saraburi is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

$6.37 ฿210

-47.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 680.4K

$27.71 ฿911

39.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

$6.69 ฿220

-17.49%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

$2.26 ฿74.2

16.81%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

$0.75 ฿24.61

122.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.27 ฿8.93

185.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

$1.95 ฿64.2

34.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$3.17 ฿104

35.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.51 ฿49.50

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

$1.10 ฿36.03

101.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

$1.27 ฿41.70

-11.02%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

$2.22 ฿73.0

-5.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 306.7K

$16.49 ฿542

5.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

$2.75 ฿90.4

40.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.3K

$10.93 ฿359

14.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

$5.12 ฿168

-29.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

$1.83 ฿60.2

-14.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

$2.30 ฿75.7

2.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

$1.78 ฿58.5

15.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

$1.56 ฿51.2

21.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.21 ฿39.79

93.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$1.13 ฿37.21

-8.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,781

$0.54 ฿17.67

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

$4.38 ฿144

-48.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 419.8K

$21.73 ฿714

9.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

$1.76 ฿57.8

31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

$2.97 ฿97.5

-5.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,803

$0.93 ฿30.72

-70.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,490

$1.20 ฿39.37

-60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,865

$1.11 ฿36.48

-59.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

$3.96 ฿130

44.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$1.38 ฿45.43

-44.93%

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

$24.5K Rp 431.7M

$24.5K ฿804.2K

0.07%

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

$32.1K Rp 566.4M

$27.7K ฿909.2K

16.13%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$85.0 ฿2,793

-1.66%

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

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

$12.71 ฿418

-49.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 334.9K

$17.12 ฿563

10.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 987.0K

$48.72 ฿1,602

14.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 328.3K

$14.47 ฿476

28.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$6.61 ฿217

-35.25%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$569 ฿18.7K

-14.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.3M

$6,956 ฿228.6K

-15.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 803.3K

$51.8 ฿1,703

-12.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 641.5K

$29.51 ฿970

23.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$76.5 ฿2,514

7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$77.3 ฿2,541

4.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$469 ฿15.4K

138.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$129 ฿4,233

444.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

$1,246 ฿41.0K

183.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

$714 ฿23.5K

146.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

$1,989 ฿65.4K

42.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

$1,635 ฿53.7K

40.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$461 ฿15.2K

-63.18%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Saraburi: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $469 in Saraburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saraburi pays 172% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $28.00 in Saraburi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $267 per month, with Saraburi 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 Saraburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saraburi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 172% lower in Saraburi. 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $469 in Saraburi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $569 in Saraburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saraburi – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $815 in Saraburi versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saraburi but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Saraburi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Saraburi 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 Saraburi 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 Saraburi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.