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: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $478 in Thika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $795 in Thika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,113 in Thika.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 201% more expensive than Thika, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Thika is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.6K

$5.27 KES 681

-32.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 562.6K

$39.16 KES 5,061

-16.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.5K

$6.95 KES 899

-27.05%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 48.8K

$2.44 KES 315

15.98%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.1K

$0.74 KES 95.8

81.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.50 KES 64.5

38.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.6K

$1.73 KES 223

72.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.4K

$1.98 KES 256

94.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.1K

$0.92 KES 120

89.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 43.8K

$0.44 KES 57.5

477.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.33 KES 171

-10.53%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 41.9K

$1.37 KES 177

77.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 253.2K

$11.51 KES 1,488

27.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.1K

$6.86 KES 887

-39.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.1K

$1.98 KES 255

503.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.6K

$3.02 KES 390

22.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

$1.07 KES 139

50.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.4K

$2.09 KES 270

28.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.2K

$1.04 KES 135

124.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 32.9K

$1.03 KES 134

85.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.7K

$1.11 KES 144

97.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.69 KES 88.6

53.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.82 KES 106

-12.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.1K

$2.35 KES 304

33.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 405.6K

$5.65 KES 731

315.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.3K

$1.73 KES 223

58.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.7K

$1.91 KES 247

50.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,010

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,834

$1.53 KES 198

-70.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,278

$1.57 KES 203

-73.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.3K

$2.96 KES 383

108.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.5K

$1.02 KES 132

-17.65%

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

$26.2K Rp 453.1M

$22.1K KES 2.9M

18.80%

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

$32.5K Rp 560.8M

$19.7K KES 2.6M

64.54%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$34.17 KES 4,415

129.50%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.2K

$17.06 KES 2,205

-76.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 421.4K

$38.97 KES 5,036

-37.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 109.6K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 69.7K

$6.30 KES 814

-35.87%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$202 KES 26.1K

50.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 112.6M

$7,948 KES 1.0M

-17.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 929.5K

$18.57 KES 2,400

189.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 655.8K

$24.27 KES 3,136

56.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$66.5 KES 8,593

30.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$56.7 KES 7,324

39.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.6M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.5M

$615 KES 79.5K

385.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Thika: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $39.00 in Thika. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 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 201% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,158 in Ubud, Bali and $717 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 $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $202 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 $39.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $478 in Thika versus $1,438 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 201% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.