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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $363 in Thanjavur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $575 in Thanjavur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $786 in Thanjavur.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 277% more expensive than in Thanjavur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Thanjavur is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$1.92 ₹184

79.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$6.34 ₹608

472.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$4.08 ₹391

39.95%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$1.74 ₹167

53.45%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.37 ₹35.53

372.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.19 ₹18.58

357.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$0.76 ₹73.0

288.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$3.17 ₹304

42.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$0.59 ₹56.6

174.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.54 ₹51.5

331.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$0.65 ₹62.1

70.77%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$0.68 ₹65.0

223.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$6.10 ₹586

190.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$2.13 ₹204

92.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$2.77 ₹266

33.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$0.77 ₹74.1

106.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$1.42 ₹136

60.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$0.43 ₹41.07

353.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$0.47 ₹44.85

306.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.43 ₹41.20

441.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.53 ₹51.1

90.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.29 ₹27.97

89.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$3.36 ₹323

-33.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$7.46 ₹716

209.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$1.27 ₹122

90.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$2.70 ₹259

11.11%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.40 ₹614

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$0.24 ₹23.05

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$6.65 ₹638

35.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$1.06 ₹102

-54.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.35 ₹33.66

22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$2.15 ₹206

162.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.06 ₹102

-24.53%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$15.4K ₹1.5M

62.19%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$20.6K ₹2.0M

54.14%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$38.67 ₹3,710

110.65%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$3.89 ₹373

66.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$7.89 ₹757

137.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$13.97 ₹1,341

307.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$6.30 ₹604

197.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$2.43 ₹233

86.83%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$91.3 ₹8,758

426.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$2,154 ₹206.6K

165.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$20.31 ₹1,948

124.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$16.52 ₹1,585

117.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$35.13 ₹3,371

128.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$26.26 ₹2,519

199.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$122 ₹11.7K

811.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$73.1 ₹7,014

854.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$263 ₹25.2K

1282.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$173 ₹16.6K

904.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$890 ₹85.4K

212.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$545 ₹52.3K

319.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$209 ₹20.1K

-19.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

9.88

39.47%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Thanjavur: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $122 in Thanjavur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thanjavur pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $6.00 in Thanjavur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $106 per month, with Thanjavur 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 Thanjavur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thanjavur wins on cost – living expenses run 277% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Thanjavur the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Thanjavur. 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $122 in Thanjavur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Thanjavur runs roughly 35% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $91.3 in Thanjavur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $363 in Thanjavur versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Thanjavur but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Thanjavur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Thanjavur delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $363 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Thanjavur hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Thanjavur 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 Thanjavur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 277% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.