Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambon and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambon: $646 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ambon, Indonesia
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Ambon
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$646
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $646 in Ambon versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Ambon $646
  • Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,021 in Ambon versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Ambon $1,021
  • Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,397 in Ambon versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Ambon $1,397
  • Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Ambon costs roughly 52% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ambon
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.11 Rp 20.1K
$3.32 Rp 59.9K
-66.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$13.36 Rp 240.8K
$35.64 Rp 642.4K
-62.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.91 Rp 70.5K
$5.53 Rp 99.7K
-29.29%
Cappuccino
$1.45 Rp 26.2K
$2.72 Rp 49.0K
-46.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.45 Rp 8,115
$1.70 Rp 30.7K
-73.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28 Rp 5,037
$0.76 Rp 13.7K
-63.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.19 Rp 39.4K
$2.65 Rp 47.8K
-17.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 Rp 60.6K
$4.38 Rp 79.0K
-23.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ambon
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.02 Rp 18.3K
$1.49 Rp 26.9K
-31.54%
White Bread (500g)
$0.97 Rp 17.6K
$2.28 Rp 41.0K
-57.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.85 Rp 15.3K
$1.19 Rp 21.5K
-28.57%
Eggs
$1.41 Rp 25.4K
$2.04 Rp 36.7K
-30.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.05 Rp 127.1K
$17.70 Rp 319.1K
-60.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.92 Rp 52.7K
$3.96 Rp 71.4K
-26.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.38 Rp 133.0K
$12.19 Rp 219.7K
-39.46%
Apples (1kg)
$2.18 Rp 39.3K
$3.66 Rp 65.9K
-40.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.30 Rp 23.4K
$1.52 Rp 27.4K
-14.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.55 Rp 28.0K
$2.23 Rp 40.2K
-30.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.20 Rp 21.6K
$1.97 Rp 35.6K
-39.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 Rp 21.8K
$1.85 Rp 33.3K
-34.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 Rp 34.2K
$2.42 Rp 43.7K
-21.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.87 Rp 15.7K
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
-12.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.42 Rp 7,599
$0.51 Rp 9,255
-17.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.0K
$2.22 Rp 40.0K
-
Wine (Bottle)
$21.08 Rp 379.9K
$22.24 Rp 400.9K
-5.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 Rp 33.8K
$2.26 Rp 40.7K
-16.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 Rp 53.9K
$2.97 Rp 53.5K
0.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Ambon
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,583
$0.25 Rp 4,525
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.46 Rp 206.7K
$7.82 Rp 141.0K
46.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.52 Rp 9,287
$0.44 Rp 7,923
18.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.37 Rp 6,711
$0.43 Rp 7,753
-13.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.78 Rp 50.1K
$5.41 Rp 97.5K
-48.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
$0.82 Rp 14.9K
-1.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K Rp 390.2M
$23.8K Rp 429.7M
-9.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K Rp 621.8M
$31.7K Rp 572.3M
8.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ambon
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$71.4 Rp 1.3M
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
-9.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.55 Rp 100.1K
$6.45 Rp 116.2K
-13.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.61 Rp 335.5K
$18.58 Rp 334.9K
0.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ambon
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$18.34 Rp 330.5K
$49.48 Rp 892.0K
-62.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.46 Rp 152.5K
$17.65 Rp 318.1K
-52.07%
Cinema Ticket
$1.40 Rp 25.2K
$4.27 Rp 77.0K
-67.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ambon
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$100 Rp 1.8M
$491 Rp 8.8M
-79.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,411 Rp 151.6M
$5,674 Rp 102.3M
48.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ambon
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.94 Rp 792.1K
$44.64 Rp 804.7K
-1.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.67 Rp 570.8K
$34.95 Rp 630.1K
-9.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.5 Rp 1.3M
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
-6.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$70.0 Rp 1.3M
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
-11.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ambon
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$250 Rp 4.5M
$1,125 Rp 20.3M
-77.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$165 Rp 3.0M
$671 Rp 12.1M
-75.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$535 Rp 9.6M
$3,565 Rp 64.3M
-85.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$402 Rp 7.2M
$1,723 Rp 31.1M
-76.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,237 Rp 22.3M
$2,732 Rp 49.2M
-54.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$712 Rp 12.8M
$2,284 Rp 41.2M
-68.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ambon
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$122 Rp 2.2M
$164 Rp 3.0M
-25.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.46
13.78
-31.35%

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

Last update for Ambon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Ambon
$191
Ubud, Bali
$288 50.8% $97
Accommodation & Living
Ambon
$165
Ubud, Bali
$672 306% $506
Clothing & Footwear
Ambon
$99
Ubud, Bali
$108 8.5% $8.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ambon
$96
Ubud, Bali
$104 8.9% $8.5
Eating Out
Ambon
$59
Ubud, Bali
$108 83.6% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Ambon
$21
Ubud, Bali
$58 175% $37
Getting Around
Ambon
$15
Ubud, Bali
$11 23.1% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $250 in Ambon and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ubud, Bali pays 34% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $13 in Ambon vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $288 per month, with Ambon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ambon
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
23:05 11:05 PM
22:05 10:05 PM
1 h behind Ambon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
275,888
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,061 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ambon Ubud, Bali 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ambon
  • Ubud, Bali

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
Ambon vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ambon or Ubud, Bali?
Ambon wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ambon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Ambon or in Ubud, Bali?
On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Ambon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ambon compared to Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $250 in Ambon versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Ambon compared to Ubud, Bali?
All in, you’ll spend $646 per month in Ambon versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – a 109% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Ambon compared to Ubud, Bali?
A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 32% less than in Ambon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
Can you live on $800/month in Ambon or in Ubud, Bali?
At $646 in Ambon versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, a $800 budget is realistic in Ambon but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Ambon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Ambon or Ubud, Bali?
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.
How safe is Ambon compared to Ubud, Bali?
Safety-wise, Ambon and Ubud, Bali are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Should I move to Ambon or to Ubud, Bali?
It comes down to priorities – Ambon wins on affordability, Ubud, Bali on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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