Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arad and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Arad: $873 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Arad
🇷🇴 Romania
$873
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arad 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 Arad and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $873 per month in Arad vs $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Arad $873
  • Ubud, Bali $1,368

A couple spends around $1,366 per month in Arad vs $2,314 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Arad $1,366
  • Ubud, Bali $2,314

A family of three spends $1,858 per month in Arad vs $3,260 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Arad $1,858
  • Ubud, Bali $3,260

Arad is about 36% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Arad sits 35% below the global median, while Ubud, Bali is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Arad
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.16 RON 38.63
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
145.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.35 RON 153
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
-8.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.15 RON 33.83
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
23.28%
Cappuccino
$2.63 RON 12.45
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
-3.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 RON 7.00
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
-9.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 RON 7.53
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
91.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.14 RON 10.15
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
-20.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 RON 11.71
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
-42.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Arad
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 RON 5.32
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
-25.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.22 RON 5.76
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
-46.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 RON 8.16
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
45.76%
Eggs
$2.57 RON 12.17
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
20.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.17 RON 33.94
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
-58.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.87 RON 23.03
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
20.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.13 RON 47.93
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
-17.17%
Apples (1kg)
$1.60 RON 7.59
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
-54.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 RON 8.05
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
8.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.69 RON 8.02
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
-24.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.40 RON 6.60
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
-27.46%
Potato (1kg)
$0.76 RON 3.59
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
-59.57%
Onion (1kg)
$0.85 RON 4.04
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
-62.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 RON 5.60
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
19.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 RON 3.63
$0.53 Rp 9,475
45.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.95 RON 28.14
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
160.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.73 RON 27.10
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
-75.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 RON 5.78
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
-47.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 RON 8.40
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
-38.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Arad
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 RON 4.11
$0.24 Rp 4,315
262.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.34 RON 139
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
232.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.79 RON 3.71
$0.48 Rp 8,684
64.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 RON 5.06
$0.46 Rp 8,233
132.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.40 RON 49.22
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
90.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.84 RON 8.72
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
109.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K RON 131.8K
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
13.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K RON 117.8K
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
-20.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arad
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 RON 590
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
50.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.19 RON 38.74
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
26.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.28 RON 34.42
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
-60.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Arad
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.12 RON 161
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
-38.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$30.83 RON 146
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
70.24%
Cinema Ticket
$5.27 RON 24.91
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
20.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Arad
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$159 RON 752
$493 Rp 8.9M
-67.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,847 RON 18.2K
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
-33.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Arad
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.29 RON 200
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
-8.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.47 RON 102
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
-39.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.9 RON 335
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
-10.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.6 RON 343
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
-7.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Arad
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$332 RON 1,571
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
-70.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$222 RON 1,052
$676 Rp 12.2M
-67.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$529 RON 2,505
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
-84.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$412 RON 1,951
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
-75.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,420 RON 6,719
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
-48.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,062 RON 5,027
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
-52.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Arad
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$919 RON 4,349
$165 Rp 3.0M
458.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.35
13.78
-46.66%

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

Last update for Arad: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Arad
$222
Ubud, Bali
$676 204% $453
Groceries & Markets
Arad
$188
Ubud, Bali
$290 54.6% $103
Eating Out
Arad
$146
Ubud, Bali
$109 25.7% $38
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arad
$140
Ubud, Bali
$108 22.9% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Arad
$93
Ubud, Bali
$108 15.3% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Arad
$45
Ubud, Bali
$65 44.6% $20
Getting Around
Arad
$39
Ubud, Bali
$13 67.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $332 in Arad versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 459% higher in Arad, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Arad versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $290 – making Arad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Arad
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
20:17 8:17 PM
01:17 1:17 AM
5 h ahead of Arad
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
159,074
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Arad Ubud, Bali 10,990 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Arad
  • 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
Arad vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Arad or Ubud, Bali?
Ubud, Bali costs about 57% more than Arad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Arad and in Ubud, Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,310 per month in Arad and $2,051 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Arad or Ubud, Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Arad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Arad and in Ubud, Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Arad and $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Arad compared to Ubud, Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $873 in Arad and $1,368 in Ubud, Bali. That's a gap of about 57%.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Arad or in Ubud, Bali?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arad, where all-in costs run around $873, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Arad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Arad or Ubud, Bali?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arad costs $873 versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Arad compared to Ubud, Bali?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Arad or to Ubud, Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Arad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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