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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $418 in Thanjavur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $640 in Thanjavur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $862 in Thanjavur.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 240% more expensive than Thanjavur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Thanjavur is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$2.06 ₹197

72.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$7.10 ₹679

360.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$4.13 ₹395

19.85%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.18 ₹208

24.31%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$0.39 ₹37.31

243.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.17 ₹16.10

311.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$0.80 ₹76.4

265.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$4.04 ₹387

-1.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$0.58 ₹55.8

212.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$0.49 ₹47.00

414.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$0.67 ₹63.6

73.13%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$0.74 ₹70.7

232.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$7.07 ₹677

108.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$2.27 ₹217

90.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$2.91 ₹278

31.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$0.87 ₹83.4

79.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$1.32 ₹126

114.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$0.50 ₹47.70

366.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$0.55 ₹52.3

247.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$0.52 ₹49.67

323.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$0.59 ₹56.5

71.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.35 ₹33.93

122.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$3.70 ₹354

-10.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$7.77 ₹744

205.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$1.48 ₹142

88.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$3.39 ₹325

-15.63%

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

$6.01 ₹575

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.30 ₹29.13

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$8.75 ₹837

-8.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$1.15 ₹110

-60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$1.75 ₹168

248.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.22 ₹116

-35.25%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$17.3K ₹1.7M

50.95%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$24.0K ₹2.3M

33.97%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$46.15 ₹4,416

73.22%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$4.65 ₹445

-12.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$9.47 ₹906

148.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$15.76 ₹1,508

526.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$7.04 ₹673

-5.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$2.95 ₹282

40.68%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$80.5 ₹7,700

277.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$1,738 ₹166.3K

280.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$25.49 ₹2,440

117.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$22.50 ₹2,153

70.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$50.2 ₹4,804

76.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$29.13 ₹2,788

167.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$126 ₹12.0K

700.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$76.1 ₹7,282

787.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$271 ₹25.9K

1171.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$177 ₹16.9K

1052.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$1,010 ₹96.7K

181.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$561 ₹53.7K

303.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$208 ₹19.9K

-20.71%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Thanjavur: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $126 in Thanjavur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thanjavur pays 26% 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 $7.00 in Thanjavur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 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 240% 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, Thanjavur earns 26% 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 $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 $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $80.5 in Thanjavur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $418 in Thanjavur versus $1,419 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 $418 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 240% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.