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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $481 in Thika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $806 in Thika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,131 in Thika.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 190% more expensive than Thika, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Thika is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.2K

$5.58 KES 722

-39.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 573.6K

$38.20 KES 4,943

-15.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 88.6K

$6.99 KES 904

-28.47%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.0K

$2.45 KES 317

15.10%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

$0.70 KES 90.6

97.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$0.50 KES 65.0

46.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 52.8K

$1.67 KES 216

78.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.3K

$1.98 KES 256

100.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 31.8K

$0.92 KES 119

94.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.7K

$0.48 KES 62.1

412.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

$1.34 KES 173

-10.45%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

$1.42 KES 184

68.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 255.1K

$11.50 KES 1,489

25.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

$6.66 KES 862

-35.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 209.4K

$1.91 KES 247

518.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.0K

$3.19 KES 413

18.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

$1.04 KES 134

56.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

$2.16 KES 279

29.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

$1.01 KES 130

123.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

$1.03 KES 133

94.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.2K

$1.11 KES 144

99.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

$0.69 KES 89.0

55.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$0.81 KES 105

-6.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.4K

$2.27 KES 293

37.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

$5.96 KES 771

299.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.3K

$1.67 KES 215

70.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

$1.92 KES 248

44.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,726

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 148.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,034

$1.53 KES 198

-70.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,578

$1.52 KES 197

-71.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 105.9K

$2.98 KES 385

100.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.03 KES 133

-22.33%

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

$25.8K Rp 457.2M

$21.5K KES 2.8M

19.92%

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

$31.8K Rp 563.4M

$20.1K KES 2.6M

58.34%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$34.32 KES 4,441

135.26%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.3K

$16.72 KES 2,164

-75.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 427.2K

$39.29 KES 5,084

-38.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 117.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.5K

$6.05 KES 783

-33.22%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$205 KES 26.6K

44.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 116.7M

$7,902 KES 1.0M

-16.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 976.8K

$18.41 KES 2,382

199.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 682.1K

$24.10 KES 3,119

59.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$64.4 KES 8,332

33.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$57.3 KES 7,414

36.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.1M

$624 KES 80.7K

353.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

11.5

15.48%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 14, 2026

Last update for Thika: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $38.00 in Thika. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $176, with Thika cheaper for home cooking.

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 Thika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thika is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 190% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,091 in Ubud, Bali and $721 in Thika to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $205 in Thika. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Thika – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $481 in Thika versus $1,394 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Thika but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Thika the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Thika 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 Thika 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 Thika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 190% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.