Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethesda, MD and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $3,184 in Bethesda, MD, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Bethesda, MD
Learn more

Bethesda, MD Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
Learn more

Ubud, Bali Living Index

Jump to prices

Bethesda, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,184

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,184 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Bethesda, MD $3,184
Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $4,988 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Bethesda, MD $4,988
Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $6,792 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Bethesda, MD $6,792
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Bethesda, MD costs about 136% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.45 $22.45

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

576.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

183.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 $10.79

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

95.12%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

98.16%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

73.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

218.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 $7.07

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

166.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.77 $8.77

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

100.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

-18.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

83.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

231.09%

Eggs

$4.59 $4.59

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

125.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.66 $16.66

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

-5.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.83 $15.83

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

299.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.19 $23.19

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

90.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

55.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

-11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

88.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

111.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

20.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

7.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

138.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$0.51 Rp 9,313

380.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.45 $9.45

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

325.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.13 $18.13

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

-18.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

-24.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

-2.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.25 Rp 4,553

1108.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 $102

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

1200.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 $3.99

$0.44 Rp 7,972

806.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.43 Rp 7,801

195.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.51 $24.51

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

353.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

10.98%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

-3.59%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

-24.42%

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

$162 $162

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

104.71%

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

$38.86 $38.86

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

502.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 $61.1

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

228.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$106 $106

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

113.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.35 $30.35

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

71.95%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 $16.29

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

281.50%

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

$1,830 $1,830

$491 Rp 8.9M

272.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.4K $35.4K

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

523.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

21.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 $56.2

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

60.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

27.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

90.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,260 $2,260

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

100.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 $1,683

$671 Rp 12.2M

150.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,962 $3,962

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

11.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,285 $3,285

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

90.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,989 $5,989

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

119.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,359 $5,359

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

134.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,610 $8,610

$164 Rp 3.0M

5155.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

13.78

-50.73%

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

Last update for Bethesda, MD: 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

Bethesda, MD

$1.7K 52.9%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 60.1% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Bethesda, MD

$462 14.5%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 37.6% $174

Eating Out

Bethesda, MD

$351 11%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 69.3% $243

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethesda, MD

$262 8.2%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 60.2% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Bethesda, MD

$164 5.1%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 34.3% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Bethesda, MD

$138 4.3%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 58% $80

Getting Around

Bethesda, MD

$124 3.9%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 90.8% $113

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,260 in Bethesda, MD versus $1,125 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 in Bethesda, MD are about 53 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Bethesda, MD versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $462 vs $288 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bethesda, MD

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

10:49 10:49 AM

13 h ahead of Bethesda, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,858

74,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 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 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

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).

IDR to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bethesda, MD Ubud, Bali 16,410 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Bethesda, MD
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

Bethesda, MD vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bethesda, MD is pricier by about 136%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Bethesda, MD and $2,023 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,125 there versus $2,260 in Bethesda, MD.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Bethesda, MD and $36 in Ubud, Bali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,184 in Bethesda, MD and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. That makes Ubud, Bali about 58% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,184 in Bethesda, MD and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Ubud, Bali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bethesda, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.