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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $788 in Saraburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,456 in Saraburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,123 in Saraburi.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 80% more expensive than Saraburi, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Saraburi is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

$3.14 ฿103

13.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

$27.67 ฿908

18.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.3K

$6.83 ฿224

-27.53%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

$2.36 ฿77.4

14.83%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

$0.67 ฿21.98

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.27 ฿8.94

159.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

$1.99 ฿65.2

46.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

$3.30 ฿108

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

$1.58 ฿51.9

14.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$1.11 ฿36.44

127.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

$1.32 ฿43.36

-12.12%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

$2.13 ฿70.0

15.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

$18.20 ฿597

-19.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

$3.00 ฿98.5

44.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

$10.83 ฿355

12.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

$5.16 ฿169

-25.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.84 ฿60.4

-15.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

$1.94 ฿63.8

45.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.52 ฿49.78

53.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

$1.52 ฿49.71

25.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

$1.26 ฿41.26

74.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

$0.98 ฿32.02

3.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$0.51 ฿16.75

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

$4.43 ฿145

-25.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 428.1K

$21.22 ฿696

11.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$1.81 ฿59.4

54.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

$2.68 ฿88.0

6.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,848

$0.91 ฿29.80

-70.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,231

$1.10 ฿36.11

-58.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,117

$1.16 ฿38.01

-61.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

$6.28 ฿206

-2.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$1.25 ฿40.97

-36.80%

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

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

$27.8K ฿913.2K

-6.05%

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

$32.1K Rp 579.3M

$27.4K ฿897.8K

17.37%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$77.7 ฿2,549

2.91%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

$13.60 ฿446

-70.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 424.2K

$17.47 ฿573

34.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$48.35 ฿1,586

104.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

$12.25 ฿402

-45.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

$7.14 ฿234

-41.88%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$302 ฿9,921

0.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

$6,967 ฿228.6K

-5.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$33.40 ฿1,096

66.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

$34.89 ฿1,145

9.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$98.7 ฿3,239

-10.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$69.5 ฿2,279

12.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.2M

$415 ฿13.6K

142.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.2M

$128 ฿4,213

425.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

$811 ฿26.6K

324.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

$661 ฿21.7K

208.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

$1,753 ฿57.5K

62.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

$1,315 ฿43.2K

72.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$455 ฿14.9K

-63.72%

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 Saraburi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $415 in Saraburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saraburi pays 176% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $28.00 in Saraburi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $269 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, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Saraburi earns 176% less. 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $415 in Saraburi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $302 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 $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $788 in Saraburi versus $1,419 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 80% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.