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: $1,397 in Ubud, Bali versus $790 in Saraburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,436 in Saraburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,081 in Saraburi.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 77% more expensive than in Saraburi, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Saraburi is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.4K

$3.06 ฿103

12.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 572.4K

$27.46 ฿927

16.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.4K

$6.86 ฿232

-26.38%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.28 ฿77.1

18.86%

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

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$0.69 ฿23.22

101.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$0.25 ฿8.38

196.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 51.8K

$1.95 ฿65.8

48.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 67.9K

$3.17 ฿107

19.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.1K

$1.56 ฿52.8

14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

$1.11 ฿37.36

126.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.7K

$1.30 ฿43.99

-6.92%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

$2.23 ฿75.1

6.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 258.4K

$18.19 ฿614

-20.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$3.08 ฿104

34.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 216.9K

$10.86 ฿366

11.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.5K

$5.12 ฿173

-26.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$1.84 ฿61.9

-11.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$1.91 ฿64.5

41.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

$1.54 ฿52.0

46.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$1.49 ฿50.2

29.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

$1.25 ฿42.07

75.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.2K

$1.02 ฿34.27

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$0.52 ฿17.39

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.0K

$4.30 ฿145

-26.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 426.8K

$20.48 ฿691

16.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.7K

$1.73 ฿58.3

60.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.80 ฿94.5

-1.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.94 ฿31.73

-71.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 146.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,653

$1.10 ฿37.04

-56.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$1.18 ฿39.98

-64.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 107.9K

$6.27 ฿211

-3.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.28 ฿43.24

-35.94%

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

$26.6K Rp 475.6M

$27.5K ฿927.5K

-3.34%

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

$32.2K Rp 576.6M

$27.0K ฿912.2K

19.15%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$77.1 ฿2,603

1.45%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.1K

$13.56 ฿458

-71.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 428.2K

$17.47 ฿590

36.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$48.47 ฿1,636

98.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 116.8K

$12.41 ฿419

-47.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 71.9K

$7.18 ฿242

-44.15%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$302 ฿10.2K

0.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.3M

$6,830 ฿230.5K

-4.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 990.4K

$33.07 ฿1,116

67.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 686.1K

$34.89 ฿1,178

9.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$101 ฿3,394

-12.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$70.1 ฿2,365

9.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.6M

$415 ฿14.0K

137.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.2M

$129 ฿4,349

429.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.2M

$818 ฿27.6K

318.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.1M

$650 ฿21.9K

219.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.5M

$2,130 ฿71.9K

29.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.2M

$1,340 ฿45.2K

67.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$439 ฿14.8K

-61.52%

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 Saraburi: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $415 in Saraburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saraburi pays 160% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $27.00 in Saraburi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $268 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 160% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $415 in Saraburi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 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 $27.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $790 in Saraburi versus $1,397 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 77% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.