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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $410 in Thanjavur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $636 in Thanjavur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $862 in Thanjavur.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 244% more expensive than in Thanjavur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Thanjavur is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$2.08 ₹200

65.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$7.16 ₹689

351.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$4.02 ₹387

20.40%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.19 ₹211

25.57%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.43 ₹41.01

220.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.18 ₹17.20

316.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$0.82 ₹79.0

264.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$4.17 ₹401

-7.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$0.63 ₹60.6

176.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$0.52 ₹50.5

373.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.68 ₹65.7

72.06%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$0.69 ₹66.3

252.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$7.03 ₹676

106.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$2.31 ₹222

88.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$2.92 ₹281

27.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$0.87 ₹83.7

87.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$1.25 ₹121

119.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$0.47 ₹45.11

376.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$0.55 ₹52.7

249.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$0.52 ₹49.88

338.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.60 ₹58.1

76.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.35 ₹33.95

105.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$3.80 ₹365

-13.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$7.26 ₹699

219.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$1.43 ₹138

94.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$3.44 ₹331

-20.64%

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

$6.15 ₹592

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.30 ₹29.06

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

$8.87 ₹853

-8.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$1.18 ₹114

-59.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$1.78 ₹172

249.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.22 ₹117

-33.61%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$17.3K ₹1.7M

54.09%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$24.5K ₹2.4M

31.31%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$45.62 ₹4,391

71.74%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$4.75 ₹457

-14.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$9.75 ₹939

149.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$15.99 ₹1,539

516.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$6.92 ₹666

-8.38%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$2.97 ₹286

34.34%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$80.3 ₹7,727

280.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$1,749 ₹168.4K

279.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$25.49 ₹2,454

112.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$22.94 ₹2,209

64.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$49.98 ₹4,812

73.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$28.57 ₹2,751

167.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$126 ₹12.2K

684.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$75.5 ₹7,268

791.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$275 ₹26.4K

1128.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$181 ₹17.4K

1031.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$878 ₹84.5K

219.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$563 ₹54.2K

295.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$207 ₹19.9K

-19.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

9.31

42.64%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Thanjavur: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $126 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: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $7.00 in Thanjavur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $115 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 244% 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $126 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 9% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $80.3 in Thanjavur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $410 in Thanjavur versus $1,408 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 $410 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 244% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.