Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Thimphu

For one person, living is cheaper in Thimphu: $522 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
Learn more

Ubud, Bali Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Thimphu
Learn more

Thimphu Living Index

Jump to prices

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Thimphu

🇧🇹 Bhutan

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Thimphu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Thimphu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $522 in Thimphu.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Thimphu $522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $811 in Thimphu.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Thimphu $811

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,100 in Thimphu.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Thimphu $1,100

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 159% more expensive than in Thimphu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$2.65 BTN 252

25.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

$14.45 BTN 1,373

146.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

$4.94 BTN 469

11.94%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$1.27 BTN 121

114.17%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$0.53 BTN 50.3

220.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.17 BTN 16.04

347.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

$2.68 BTN 255

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$1.55 BTN 148

182.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$0.77 BTN 73.4

93.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$1.12 BTN 106

103.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$1.03 BTN 97.5

15.53%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$1.95 BTN 185

4.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

$3.74 BTN 355

373.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$3.96 BTN 377

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

$3.89 BTN 370

213.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

$2.52 BTN 240

45.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$1.51 BTN 143

0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$1.64 BTN 156

35.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$0.76 BTN 72.7

159.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$0.57 BTN 54.0

224.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$0.71 BTN 67.5

240.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$0.38 BTN 35.86

160.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,313

$0.31 BTN 29.89

64.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$3.97 BTN 377

-44.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

$2.80 BTN 266

694.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$0.62 BTN 59.0

264.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$1.41 BTN 134

110.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,553

$0.80 BTN 76.2

-68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

$5.27 BTN 501

48.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,972

$0.77 BTN 73.6

-42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,801

$1.56 BTN 148

-72.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

$0.14 BTN 13.64

3764.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$0.78 BTN 74.4

5.13%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

$16.8K BTN 1.6M

42.23%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

$15.5K BTN 1.5M

105.15%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$34.15 BTN 3,246

131.51%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

$35.64 BTN 3,387

-81.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

$24.15 BTN 2,296

-23.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

$48.23 BTN 4,584

2.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

$7.53 BTN 716

134.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

$3.13 BTN 298

36.42%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$45.45 BTN 4,320

979.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

$579 BTN 55.1K

879.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

$50.1 BTN 4,760

-10.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

$25.28 BTN 2,403

38.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$68.2 BTN 6,480

17.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$14.25 BTN 1,355

457.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$128 BTN 12.2K

775.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$88.9 BTN 8,450

655.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$191 BTN 18.1K

1770.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$155 BTN 14.8K

1010.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

$6,737 BTN 640.4K

-59.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

$399 BTN 37.9K

473.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$348 BTN 33.1K

-52.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Thimphu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Thimphu

$89 17.1% 86.8% $583

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Thimphu

$126 24.1% 56.5% $163

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Thimphu

$71 13.5% 34.4% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Thimphu

$71 13.6% 34% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Thimphu

$94 18% 9.7% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Thimphu

$55 10.5% 6.1% $3.5

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Thimphu

$17 3.3% 49.3% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $128 in Thimphu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thimphu pays about 2.1 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $14 in Thimphu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $126 per month, with Thimphu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇧🇹 Thimphu

🕒 Local time

13:29 1:29 PM

11:29 11:29 AM

2 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

98,676 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Bhutanese Ngultrum BTN Nu.

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 BTN = 10.52 USD

1,000 BTN = 9.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BTN, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Bhutanese Ngultrum exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 95.05 BTN (100 BTN = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 BTN (1,000 BTN = 9.42 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Thimphu 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Thimphu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Thimphu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $522 in Thimphu, so Thimphu is about 61% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 53% lower in Ubud, Bali. 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: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $128 in Thimphu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Thimphu – a meal for two runs $14 versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $522 in Thimphu – Thimphu is about 61% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $522 in Thimphu versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Thimphu but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Thimphu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Thimphu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Thimphu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.