Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bismarck, ND and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $2,355 in Bismarck, ND, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Bismarck, ND, United States
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Bismarck, ND
🇺🇸 United States
$2,355
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,331
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,355 in Bismarck, ND versus $1,331 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Bismarck, ND $2,355
  • Ubud, Bali $1,331

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,453 in Bismarck, ND versus $2,255 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Bismarck, ND $3,453
  • Ubud, Bali $2,255

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,551 in Bismarck, ND versus $3,180 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Bismarck, ND $4,551
  • Ubud, Bali $3,180

Living in Bismarck, ND is roughly 77% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bismarck, ND is 74% above, Ubud, Bali is 2% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bismarck, ND
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$29.75 $29.75
$3.38 Rp 61.2K
780.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.5 $69.5
$34.65 Rp 628.6K
100.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$17.29 $17.29
$5.57 Rp 101.1K
210.41%
Cappuccino
$6.16 $6.16
$2.62 Rp 47.5K
135.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.60 $2.60
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
68.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 $1.80
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
181.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.45 $5.45
$2.67 Rp 48.4K
104.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.95 $6.95
$4.26 Rp 77.3K
63.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bismarck, ND
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.46 Rp 26.5K
-31.51%
White Bread (500g)
$2.59 $2.59
$2.29 Rp 41.6K
13.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.13 $2.13
$1.11 Rp 20.1K
91.89%
Eggs
$2.68 $2.68
$2.10 Rp 38.1K
27.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.87 $7.87
$15.94 Rp 289.2K
-50.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.98 $12.98
$3.88 Rp 70.4K
234.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.16 $16.16
$11.40 Rp 206.8K
41.75%
Apples (1kg)
$3.48 $3.48
$3.55 Rp 64.4K
-1.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.72 $1.72
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
11.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.11 $3.11
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
39.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.40 $4.40
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
123.35%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 $1.90
$1.86 Rp 33.7K
2.15%
Onion (1kg)
$2.64 $2.64
$2.42 Rp 43.9K
9.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.02 Rp 18.6K
115.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.80 $2.80
$0.52 Rp 9,475
438.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.63 $8.63
$2.20 Rp 39.9K
292.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.29 $20.29
$21.79 Rp 395.2K
-6.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 $1.82
$2.33 Rp 42.2K
-21.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.93 $3.93
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
32.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Bismarck, ND
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 $1.53
$0.25 Rp 4,542
512.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$35.49 $35.49
$8.17 Rp 148.3K
334.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$0.44 Rp 7,941
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.47 Rp 8,489
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.60 Rp 101.6K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.92 $0.92
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
10.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$24.4K Rp 443.5M
11.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.6K $22.6K
$31.7K Rp 575.0M
-28.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bismarck, ND
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$207 $207
$77.5 Rp 1.4M
167.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$73.9 $73.9
$6.14 Rp 111.5K
1103.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$83.7 $83.7
$18.92 Rp 343.1K
342.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bismarck, ND
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.94 $33.94
$51.0 Rp 925.0K
-33.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.25 Rp 331.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.06 $12.06
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
175.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bismarck, ND
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$809 $809
$492 Rp 8.9M
64.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,125 $9,125
$12.2K Rp 221.7M
-25.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bismarck, ND
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.3 $66.3
$45.16 Rp 819.2K
46.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$34.89 Rp 632.9K
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.3 $95.3
$78.3 Rp 1.4M
21.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 $79.6
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
2.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bismarck, ND
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,010 $1,010
$1,078 Rp 19.5M
-6.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$995 $995
$665 Rp 12.1M
49.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,526 $1,526
$3,510 Rp 63.7M
-56.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,631 $1,631
$1,671 Rp 30.3M
-2.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,440 $2,440
$2,340 Rp 42.4M
4.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,971 $1,971
$2,236 Rp 40.6M
-11.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bismarck, ND
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,378 $4,378
$166 Rp 3.0M
2531.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.84
13.78
-50.36%

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

Last update for Bismarck, ND: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bismarck, ND
$995
Ubud, Bali
$665 33.2% $330
Eating Out
Bismarck, ND
$423
Ubud, Bali
$106 75% $317
Groceries & Markets
Bismarck, ND
$365
Ubud, Bali
$279 23.5% $86
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bismarck, ND
$365
Ubud, Bali
$103 71.9% $262
Clothing & Footwear
Bismarck, ND
$109 *
Ubud, Bali
$106 2% $2.2
Sport & Entertainment
Bismarck, ND
$58
Ubud, Bali
$60 2.9% $1.7
Getting Around
Bismarck, ND
$42 *
Ubud, Bali
$12 71.3% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,010 in Bismarck, ND and $1,078 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bismarck, ND pays about 26 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $70 in Bismarck, ND vs $35 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $279 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Bismarck, ND
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
18:02 6:02 PM
08:02 8:02 AM
14 h ahead of Bismarck, ND
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
58,333
74,800
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,286 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bismarck, ND Ubud, Bali 14,560 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bismarck, ND
  • 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
Bismarck, ND vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bismarck, ND and in Ubud, Bali?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,355 in Bismarck, ND and $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, so Ubud, Bali is about 44% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Bismarck, ND or Ubud, Bali?
Average pay in Bismarck, ND is about 26 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Bismarck, ND and in Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,010 in Bismarck, ND versus $1,078 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Bismarck, ND. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $35 versus $70 in Bismarck, ND. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
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.
How does quality of life compare between Bismarck, ND and 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.
Is Bismarck, ND or Ubud, Bali safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Bismarck, ND and Ubud, Bali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Bismarck, ND and Ubud, Bali?
It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Bismarck, ND on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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