Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlsbad, NM and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,193 in Carlsbad, NM, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Carlsbad, NM, United States
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Carlsbad, NM
🇺🇸 United States
$2,193
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,193 per month in Carlsbad, NM vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Carlsbad, NM $2,193
  • Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $3,146 per month in Carlsbad, NM vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Carlsbad, NM $3,146
  • Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $4,098 per month in Carlsbad, NM vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Carlsbad, NM $4,098
  • Ubud, Bali $3,261

Carlsbad, NM costs about 63% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Carlsbad, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.29 $17.29
$3.32 Rp 60.2K
420.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.36 $45.36
$35.64 Rp 645.8K
27.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.82 $11.82
$5.53 Rp 100.3K
113.74%
Cappuccino
$5.70 $5.70
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
109.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.70 Rp 30.8K
-11.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.26 $1.26
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
65.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.09 $5.09
$2.65 Rp 48.1K
92.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.09 $7.09
$4.38 Rp 79.4K
61.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Carlsbad, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.80 $0.80
$1.49 Rp 27.0K
-46.31%
White Bread (500g)
$3.66 $3.66
$2.28 Rp 41.2K
60.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.69 $3.69
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
210.08%
Eggs
$4.74 $4.74
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
132.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.61 $13.61
$17.70 Rp 320.8K
-23.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.22 $12.22
$3.96 Rp 71.8K
208.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.73 $17.73
$12.19 Rp 220.9K
45.45%
Apples (1kg)
$4.20 $4.20
$3.66 Rp 66.2K
14.75%
Banana (1kg)
$2.01 $2.01
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
32.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.41 $3.41
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
52.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.01 $4.01
$1.97 Rp 35.7K
103.55%
Potato (1kg)
$2.30 $2.30
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
24.32%
Onion (1kg)
$2.43 $2.43
$2.42 Rp 43.9K
0.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.80 $1.80
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
81.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 $1.90
$0.51 Rp 9,303
272.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.81 $10.81
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
386.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.93 $14.93
$22.24 Rp 403.0K
-32.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
9.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 $3.63
$2.97 Rp 53.8K
22.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Carlsbad, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.25 Rp 4,548
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$7.82 Rp 141.8K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.37 $2.37
$0.44 Rp 7,964
438.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.42 $2.42
$0.43 Rp 7,793
462.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.41 Rp 98.0K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.92 $0.92
$0.82 Rp 14.9K
12.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K $28.1K
$23.8K Rp 432.0M
17.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.6K $24.6K
$31.7K Rp 575.3M
-22.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Carlsbad, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 $172
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
117.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$57.0 $57.0
$6.45 Rp 116.8K
783.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.5 $75.5
$18.58 Rp 336.7K
306.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Carlsbad, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.23 $41.23
$49.48 Rp 896.7K
-16.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.65 Rp 319.8K
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.99 $9.99
$4.27 Rp 77.4K
133.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Carlsbad, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$679 $679
$491 Rp 8.9M
38.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$5,674 Rp 102.8M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Carlsbad, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.9 $59.9
$44.64 Rp 808.9K
34.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.36 $32.36
$34.95 Rp 633.4K
-7.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.1 $84.1
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
5.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.9 $99.9
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
25.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Carlsbad, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,236 $1,236
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
9.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,005 $1,005
$671 Rp 12.2M
49.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,972 $1,972
$3,565 Rp 64.6M
-44.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,592 $1,592
$1,723 Rp 31.2M
-7.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,019 $2,019
$2,732 Rp 49.5M
-26.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,018 $2,018
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
-11.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Carlsbad, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,175 $4,175
$164 Rp 3.0M
2448.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.61
13.78
-59.29%

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

Last update for Carlsbad, NM: 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
Carlsbad, NM
$1K
Ubud, Bali
$672 33.2% $333
Groceries & Markets
Carlsbad, NM
$391
Ubud, Bali
$288 26.3% $103
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Carlsbad, NM
$304
Ubud, Bali
$104 65.8% $200
Eating Out
Carlsbad, NM
$293
Ubud, Bali
$108 63.2% $185
Clothing & Footwear
Carlsbad, NM
$124
Ubud, Bali
$108 13.5% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Carlsbad, NM
$61
Ubud, Bali
$58 5.2% $3.2
Getting Around
Carlsbad, NM
$14 *
Ubud, Bali
$11 21.1% $3.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,236 in Carlsbad, NM 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 Carlsbad, NM are about 25 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Carlsbad, NM versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $288 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Carlsbad, NM
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
15:51 3:51 PM
06:51 6:51 AM
15 h ahead of Carlsbad, NM
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
114,746
74,800
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Carlsbad, NM Ubud, Bali 15,160 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Carlsbad, NM
  • 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
Carlsbad, NM vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Carlsbad, NM and in Ubud, Bali compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,193 in Carlsbad, NM, $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – Ubud, Bali comes out roughly 39% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Carlsbad, NM compared to Ubud, Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,290 per month in Carlsbad, NM and $2,023 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Carlsbad, NM and in Ubud, Bali?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,236 in Carlsbad, NM and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Carlsbad, NM and $36 in Ubud, Bali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 36% more in Carlsbad, NM, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,193 in Carlsbad, NM and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Where should families live: Carlsbad, NM or Ubud, Bali?
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.
How do I decide between Carlsbad, NM and Ubud, Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Carlsbad, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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