Ubud, Bali
Green surroundings and a busy center inland on Bali; the ocean is a separate destination.
View on Google MapsUbud, Bali vs Phuket
Ubud is inland on Bali; Phuket offers a coastal setting. This comparison separates nearby water, household costs and heat instead of treating both as interchangeable beach destinations. Ubud’s figures must not be read as an island-wide Bali average.
Compare for my householdKey differences for a move
Selected cities and localities, not national averages. National indicators are separate.
One scenario for both places2 adults + a seven-year-oldRental · 2 bedroomsPrivate school · public transport
Monthly USD · modeled, not market statistics. Taxes and one-off costs excluded.
Ubud, Bali
Indonesia4,098 USD/ month · example
- Warmest month
- 26.3 °C
- 2001–2020 · mean, not maximum
- Nearby water
- Ocean requires a trip
Climate and setting details
Warm season. Warmest month: mean 26.3 °C · 2001–2020. Not a daytime maximum or an overall climate rating.
Green surroundings and a busy center inland on Bali; the ocean is a separate destination.
Temperature sourcePhuket
Thailand4,923 USD/ month · example
- Warmest month
- 28.8 °C
- 2001–2020 · mean, not maximum
- Nearby water
- Andaman Sea
Climate and setting details
Hot season. Warmest month: mean 28.8 °C · 2001–2020. Not a daytime maximum or an overall climate rating.
Island life ranges from beaches and hills to busy tourist districts.
Temperature sourceUbud, Bali has the lower example budget by 825 USD/month for the same household. This compares two city scenarios, not national average prices.
What makes up the budget
Housing
Groceries
Transport
Education
Other costs and assumptions
Utilities
Health insurance
Leisure
Reserve
Pets
Extra activities
Balanced lifestyle, no pets or extra activities. Amounts are editorial assumptions without a market-price verification date. Deposits, relocation, vehicle purchases and taxes are excluded.
National indicators and rules
Below is country-level, not city-level information. Citizenship and stay route affect which rules apply.
Indonesia
Intentional homicides / 100k0.302022 · Low rate
National statistic, not an overall safety rating.
Additional conditions
0.30 per 100,000 · 2022. National, not city data; not an overall safety index.
UNODC / World BankShort visits and limited-stay residence are different pathways. For a remote-worker status, verify foreign-employer and income requirements.
Do not confuse residence with permission to run local activities. Review tax status and bank-account eligibility.
Check evacuation, road-accident and natural-disaster coverage. Plan access to a larger medical center for complex treatment.
Check school accreditation, language and distance. International schools and medical facilities may be far from an attractive villa.
Country source recordsThailand
Intentional homicides / 100k4.792011 · Historical data
National statistic, not an overall safety rating.
DTV: validity and funds
- visa validity · multiple entries
- 5 years
- per entry
- up to 180 days
- minimum financial evidence
- THB 500,000
One extension application for up to 180 further days per entry is available. Five-year visa validity is not five years of continuous stay; THB 500,000 is financial evidence, not a fee or monthly salary.
Extension is not guaranteed. Workcation covers evidenced foreign remote work, not employment with a Thai company.
Sources and verification dates
DTV: where applications are accepted
- new requirements effective
- 31 Aug 2026
- connection to the filing country
- Nationality / PR
The Vientiane embassy’s worldwide notice requires nationality or permanent residence in the filing country, plus criminal-record clearance from that country or the nationality country. Merely visiting a third country as a tourist does not meet that condition.
Applications submitted and paid before 31 August 2026 are exempt from the new requirements. Document formats are consulate-specific.
Sources and verification dates
Tax residence and foreign income
- in aggregate per calendar year
- ≥180 days
- income covered by the remittance rule
- From 1 Jan 2024
Tax residence starts at 180 days inclusive. Assessable foreign income earned from 2024 in a year of Thai tax residence is included when remitted to Thailand, even later. Only the remitted portion is included. Income from work or business in Thailand is taxable regardless of where it is paid.
The rule does not cover pre-2024 foreign income or income earned in a non-resident year. Deductions and foreign tax credits may apply; not every bank transfer is taxable. DTV gives no general exemption.
Sources and verification dates
UCS public health coverage
- Gold Card / UCS coverage
- Not included in DTV
UCS serves Thai citizens without another qualifying state-funded health entitlement. Holding a DTV alone does not confer eligibility for this scheme.
This does not bar foreigners from paying for public-hospital care or describe separate insurance schemes for foreign employees.
Sources and verification dates
- NHSO · Universal Coverage SchemeVerified:
National statistics and country guide
4.79 per 100,000 · 2011. National, not city data; not an overall safety index.
UNODC / World BankIn Bangkok and Phuket, check school buses, admission fees and waiting lists. In Chiang Mai, account for seasonal air pollution.
Country source recordsHow to read this comparison
Ubud, Bali has the lower warmest-month mean for 2001–2020. This measures heat only, excluding humidity, winter and air quality.
Homicides: not ranked because years differ, records are historical or data are missing. National statistics do not determine neighborhood safety.
Visas, taxes, healthcare and family life: not ranked. There is no overall winner; citizenship, income and household needs change the answer.
Bars compare amounts, not quality of life: the maximum in each row is 100%.
Methodology and data limitationsAdjust cities, household and expenses below. The examples above remain fixed for comparability.
Adjust your household and expenses
The places below match this page. Saved household preferences apply to your calculation; the examples above remain fixed.
Household & budget
The same household settings apply to every city. Budgets are monthly USD planning scenarios, not market statistics.
Compare 2–4 destinations
| Compare by |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Living cost / month | 🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali$4,098 10/10 · Lowest budget Assessment basisOnly the selected planning budgets with the same household settings. Not a market-price ranking. | 🇹🇭 Phuket$4,923 0/10 · Highest budget Assessment basisOnly the selected planning budgets with the same household settings. Not a market-price ranking. |
| Warmest month | 🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali26.3 °C 7/10 · Warm season 2001–2020Assessment basisWarmest month: mean 26.3 °C · 2001–2020. Not a daytime maximum or an overall climate rating. Source | 🇹🇭 Phuket28.8 °C 4/10 · Hot season 2001–2020Assessment basisWarmest month: mean 28.8 °C · 2001–2020. Not a daytime maximum or an overall climate rating. Source |
| Intentional homicides / 100k | 🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali0.3 10/10 · Low rate National statistic, not city risk · 2022Assessment basis0.30 per 100,000 · 2022. National, not city data; not an overall safety index. Source · 2022 | 🇹🇭 Phuket4.8 Historical data National statistic, not city risk · 2011Assessment basis4.79 per 100,000 · 2011. National, not city data; not an overall safety index. Source · 2011 |
| Water nearby | 🇮🇩 Ubud, BaliOcean requires a trip | 🇹🇭 PhuketAndaman Sea |
| Tax residence | 🇮🇩 Ubud, BaliConditions & factsResidence, over 183 days in 12 months, or presence with an intention to reside. Details & sources | 🇹🇭 PhuketConditions & facts180 days or more in a calendar year, not other countries' 183-day tests. Details & sources |
| Income taxes | 🇮🇩 Ubud, BaliConditions & factsStandard bands 5–35%; the top rate applies to taxable income above IDR5bn. A visa alone does not set the tax rate. Details & sources | 🇹🇭 PhuketConditions & factsForeign income earned from 2024 in a resident year and remitted to Thailand requires tax review. Not every transfer is income. Net-income bands run 0–35%, with the top band above THB5m (official 2024 guide). Details & sources |
| Residence & legal status | 🇮🇩 Ubud, BaliConditions & factsShort visits and limited-stay residence are different pathways. For a remote-worker status, verify foreign-employer and income requirements. Details & sources | 🇹🇭 PhuketConditions & factsvisa validity · multiple entries: 5 years. per entry: up to 180 days. minimum financial evidence: THB 500,000. One extension application for up to 180 further days per entry is available. Five-year visa validity is not five years of continuous stay; THB 500,000 is financial evidence, not a fee or monthly salary.. Extension is not guaranteed. Workcation covers evidenced foreign remote work, not employment with a Thai company. new requirements effective: 31 Aug 2026. connection to the filing country: Nationality / PR. The Vientiane embassy’s worldwide notice requires nationality or permanent residence in the filing country, plus criminal-record clearance from that country or the nationality country. Merely visiting a third country as a tourist does not meet that condition.. Applications submitted and paid before 31 August 2026 are exempt from the new requirements. Document formats are consulate-specific. Details & sources |
| Work & business | 🇮🇩 Ubud, BaliConditions & factsShort visits and limited-stay residence are different pathways. For a remote-worker status, verify foreign-employer and income requirements. Details & sources | 🇹🇭 PhuketConditions & factsSMART S: approved startup. Two-year route for an established qualifying startup: director or ≥25% stake; personal deposit THB600,000 held for 3 months, +THB180,000 per dependent and insurance. Not a route for buying any bar. Details & sources |
| Safety | 🇮🇩 Ubud, BaliConditions & factsCheck villa security, deposit scams and document storage. A popular tourist neighborhood still needs due diligence. Details & sources | 🇹🇭 PhuketConditions & factsConsider tourist scams and theft. Assess the actual neighborhood, especially for late-night travel. Details & sources |
| Conflict-sensitive regions | 🇮🇩 Ubud, BaliConditions & factsRegional warnings and volcanic activity are separate risks. Have a plan for disrupted flights. Details & sources | 🇹🇭 PhuketConditions & factsSome warnings are regional. Check the far south and Cambodia border before travel instead of applying one risk level to all Thailand. Details & sources |
| Family & schools | 🇮🇩 Ubud, BaliConditions & factsCheck school accreditation, language and distance. International schools and medical facilities may be far from an attractive villa. Details & sources | 🇹🇭 PhuketConditions & factsIn Bangkok and Phuket, check school buses, admission fees and waiting lists. In Chiang Mai, account for seasonal air pollution. Details & sources |
| Healthcare | 🇮🇩 Ubud, BaliConditions & factsCheck evacuation, road-accident and natural-disaster coverage. Plan access to a larger medical center for complex treatment. Details & sources | 🇹🇭 PhuketConditions & factsGold Card / UCS coverage: Not included in DTV. UCS serves Thai citizens without another qualifying state-funded health entitlement. Holding a DTV alone does not confer eligibility for this scheme.. This does not bar foreigners from paying for public-hospital care or describe separate insurance schemes for foreign employees. Details & sources |
How comparisons work
Intentional homicide is a national statistic per 100,000 residents, not your attack probability or an overall safety ranking. Rankings use observations no older than five years; older and missing values go last. Years may differ across countries. Heat labels describe temperature, not climate quality.
Colors apply to individual criteria: green means a lower budget, less heat or a lower homicide rate, not an overall winning country. Taxes, one-off costs and a vehicle purchase are excluded. There is no overall winner: residence eligibility depends on citizenship and route, taxes on income and residence. Temperatures are historical means; source periods may differ.
The 0–10 budget scale is relative: 10 for the cheapest selected scenario and 0 for the most expensive, with rounded linear values between; equal budgets all receive 5. It does not measure affordability against your income. Warmest-month mean heat: ≤25°C = 10; >25–28°C = 7; >28–31°C = 4; >31°C = 1. Homicides per 100k: <1 = 10; 1–<3 = 8; 3–<10 = 5; 10–<20 = 2; ≥20 = 0. These are editorial bands, not official risk categories.