Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,402 in Cartagena versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,010 in Cartagena versus $2,557 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,619 in Cartagena versus $3,723 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Cartagena is roughly 1% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartagena 5% above, Ubud, Bali 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.13 €12.23

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

295.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 €50.7

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

81.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 €7.00

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

61.28%

Cappuccino

$2.55 €2.21

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

-9.57%

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

$2.39 €2.07

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

77.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.78

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

180.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 €3.09

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

21.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €2.97

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

-12.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

-36.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 €0.87

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

-59.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

44.35%

Eggs

$2.79 €2.41

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

15.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.23 €9.72

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

-21.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.32 €7.20

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

98.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 €12.25

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

17.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.05

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

-34.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

18.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.20

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

-50.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

-21.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.13

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

-34.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 €0.96

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

-51.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 €0.45

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

-34.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.70 €4.93

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

78.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 €5.34

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

-73.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.96

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

-61.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.12

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

-53.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.18

$0.27 Rp 4,813

403.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 €10.07

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

38.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 €3.09

$0.45 Rp 8,167

691.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.04

$0.46 Rp 8,298

160.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.63 €21.33

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

305.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

108.14%

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

$31.2K €27.0K

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

17.20%

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

$31.7K €27.4K

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

-2.68%

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

$144 €124

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

81.61%

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

$13.48 €11.68

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

229.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.43 €26.35

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

27.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.68 €33.50

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

-60.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.93 €12.93

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

135.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 €7.06

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

103.24%

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

$426 €369

$297 Rp 5.4M

43.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,829 €2,450

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

-57.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.46 €39.37

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

-14.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.91 €27.63

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

-16.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.71 €39.58

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

-48.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.1 €65.9

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

-0.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$758 €657

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

-25.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 €542

$680 Rp 12.3M

-7.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$914 €791

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

-73.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 €658

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

-63.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,792 €1,552

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

-34.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 €1,271

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

-36.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,752 €1,517

$164 Rp 3.0M

970.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

13.28

-74.10%

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

Last update for Cartagena: July 28, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $758 in Cartagena and $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 970% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in Cartagena vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $231 vs $298, with Cartagena cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Cartagena. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 970% higher in Cartagena, 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: $758 in Cartagena versus $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $59.0 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,402 per month in Cartagena versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,402 in Cartagena, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Cartagena. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,392 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cartagena and Ubud, Bali are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.