Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Asheville, NC and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,909 in Asheville, NC, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Asheville, NC
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Asheville, NC Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Asheville, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,909

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,909 in Asheville, NC versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Asheville, NC $2,909
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,142 in Asheville, NC versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Asheville, NC $4,142
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,375 in Asheville, NC versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Asheville, NC $5,375
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Asheville, NC is roughly 116% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.30 $21.30

$3.32 Rp 60.2K

541.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 $99.2

$35.64 Rp 645.8K

178.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 $11.07

$5.53 Rp 100.3K

100.18%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

112.50%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

44.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

155.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

163.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$4.38 Rp 79.4K

110.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

-19.46%

White Bread (500g)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

94.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

259.66%

Eggs

$3.96 $3.96

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

94.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$17.70 Rp 320.8K

-6.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.60 $13.60

$3.96 Rp 71.8K

243.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.14 $15.14

$12.19 Rp 220.9K

24.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.66 Rp 66.2K

12.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

79.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

131.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

23.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

16.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 $2.48

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

150.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.51 Rp 9,303

311.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.50 $8.50

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

282.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$22.24 Rp 403.0K

-33.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

-22.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

77.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.25 Rp 4,548

312.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.17 $20.17

$7.82 Rp 141.8K

157.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.55 $4.55

$0.44 Rp 7,964

934.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 $3.19

$0.43 Rp 7,793

641.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.82 $34.82

$5.41 Rp 98.0K

543.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

14.63%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$23.8K Rp 432.0M

21.20%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$31.7K Rp 575.3M

-17.95%

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

$183 $183

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

131.87%

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

$64.1 $64.1

$6.45 Rp 116.8K

893.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$107 $107

$18.58 Rp 336.7K

476.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.23 $35.23

$49.48 Rp 896.7K

-28.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.99 $18.99

$17.65 Rp 319.8K

7.59%

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 $11.36

$4.27 Rp 77.4K

166.04%

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

$2,606 $2,606

$491 Rp 8.9M

431.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$54.5K $54.5K

$5,674 Rp 102.8M

861.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 $65.0

$44.64 Rp 808.9K

45.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 $49.68

$34.95 Rp 633.4K

42.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

27.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 $160

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

101.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,770 $1,770

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

57.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 $1,521

$671 Rp 12.2M

126.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,975 $2,975

$3,565 Rp 64.6M

-16.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$1,723 Rp 31.2M

28.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,689 $4,689

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

71.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,245 $3,245

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

42.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,770 $3,770

$164 Rp 3.0M

2201.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

13.78

-55.01%

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

Last update for Asheville, NC: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Asheville, NC

$1.5K 52.3%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 55.8% $849

Groceries & Markets

Asheville, NC

$418 14.4%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 31% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Asheville, NC

$355 12.2%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 70.6% $250

Eating Out

Asheville, NC

$344 11.8%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 68.7% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Asheville, NC

$169 5.8%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 36.5% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Asheville, NC

$58 2%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Asheville, NC

$45 1.5%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 74.5% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,770 in Asheville, NC and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Asheville, NC pays about 23 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Asheville, NC vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $418 vs $288 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Asheville, NC

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

06:20 6:20 AM

13 h ahead of Asheville, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,789

74,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Asheville, NC Ubud, Bali 16,500 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Asheville, NC
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

Asheville, NC vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,909 in Asheville, NC and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, so Ubud, Bali is about 54% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Asheville, NC is about 23 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,770 in Asheville, NC versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 61% less than in Asheville, NC. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,606 in Asheville, NC versus $491 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Asheville, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.