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: $1,397 in Cartagena versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,993 in Cartagena versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,589 in Cartagena versus $3,732 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Cartagena costs roughly 3% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartagena 4% above, Ubud, Bali 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 €11.94

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

290.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 €49.20

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

76.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 €6.79

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

56.41%

Cappuccino

$2.57 €2.20

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

-9.19%

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

$2.39 €2.04

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

78.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

182.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €2.95

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

15.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 €2.95

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

-10.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.97

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

-34.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 €0.86

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

-60.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

47.90%

Eggs

$2.94 €2.52

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

20.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 €9.88

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

-21.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 €7.22

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

101.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 €12.14

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

18.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €1.94

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

-38.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.54

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

11.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 €1.19

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

-48.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

-24.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 €1.10

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

-32.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 €0.90

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

-52.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.94

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.65 €4.84

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

80.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 €5.30

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

-73.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €0.98

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

-58.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

-55.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.21

$0.29 Rp 5,029

386.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.64 €9.97

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

42.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 €2.98

$0.45 Rp 7,863

673.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.02

$0.42 Rp 7,305

185.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.92 €21.33

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

304.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

109.52%

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

$30.9K €26.5K

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

17.83%

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

$31.9K €27.3K

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

-1.89%

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

$143 €123

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

82.90%

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

$13.23 €11.32

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

234.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.14 €25.80

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

23.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 €33.06

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

-60.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.09 €12.92

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

137.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.13 €6.96

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

101.24%

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

$433 €370

$303 Rp 5.2M

42.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,792 €2,390

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

-57.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.05 €37.71

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

-18.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.92 €27.32

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

-15.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.25 €37.88

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

-49.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.1 €66.0

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

-2.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 €666

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

-23.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 €527

$674 Rp 11.7M

-8.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$921 €789

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

-72.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 €660

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

-63.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,839 €1,574

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

-38.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 €1,256

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

-37.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,842 €1,576

$173 Rp 3.0M

963.74%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $778 in Cartagena and $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 964% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Cartagena vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 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

Cartagena wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cartagena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Cartagena pays 964% more on average, 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: $778 in Cartagena versus $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cartagena – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,397 per month in Cartagena versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,397 in Cartagena versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cartagena but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Cartagena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cartagena delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,397 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cartagena 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 Cartagena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.